Falling For a Demon
by unlucky.chat.noir
Summary: Marinette is an Angel and Adrien is a Demon Prince, after he saves her from his own kind, the two form an unlikely bond and become friends. When troubles arise in their kingdoms, Marinette has to take action and choose between saving her kingdom or saving a Demon.
1. Chapter 1: Demons and Angels

He was quiet today and certainly not the good kind. Not the kind that was only forced because she told him to, no, this was unusual and unsettling. He was usually bouncing with energy, his wings rustling with excitement or just pure joy, despite how he was raised to act. He was a demon, sure, but he certainly didn't act like one.

Today he just looked miserable, quiet and probably tired. His wings were tucked in tightly, proving just how tense he was. Eventually, Marinette watched as the black feathered limbs practically fell limp, drooping against his back almost like a blanket. Maybe he was going through some family crisis, she knew he always had daddy issues. Today could be one of those days.

She moved a bit closer before draping her white feathered wing across him, the equivalent of wrapping an arm around him. He glanced over at her, meeting her gaze for a moment before averting his attention to the floor. She didn't say anything, she didn't want to pressure him into telling her what happened, she just wanted to comfort him and she wanted him to know that she would always be there for him. So she stayed with him, even through the unsettling silence.

Her thoughts drifted off, bringing up the memory of how she first met this friendly demon. Everything changed after that memorable day.

* * *

She was running despite the ache and the pain in her wing that dragged against the ground, no longer able to move. Her other wing was tucked in tightly, long since given up on trying to fly away. She ran through the forest, barefoot with only one thing on her mind; Run. She was panicked and her breathing was laboured, her lungs burning with effort but she couldn't stop to rest, they would catch her and she might as well be dead.

Marinette glanced behind her, catching sight of two of them in the sky, following her at a steady pace, as if teasing her. They wanted to watch her run until she couldn't any longer. She didn't see the other one, wherever he was, she figured he'd show up soon to end this game of cat and mouse. They were like vultures, their black wings taunting her and with every sight of them, her heart would skip a beat, fear rushing through her like electricity.

Damn Demons.

They had broken her wing, the feathers of her right limb ripped and torn, ruffled in pain and fear. Blood soaked through most of them, turning pearly white feathers a dark red. She risked a glance over at the damaged wing, glad it hadn't snapped completely. If they had bent it anymore, the bone would've bulged out of the only thing holding it all in.

She had screamed and begged them to stop, but they only laughed until one of them finally decided it would've been funnier if she ran from them. They gave her a 10-second head start but with how fast they could travel with their strong wings, it was pointless, they were on her trail in under 3 seconds.

She ducked under a low branch and kept running, stepping over fallen twigs and plants. She tried to stay on a path to avoid any hazards but luck wasn't on her side today, she ended up scrapping her barefoot against a sharp rock, crying out as she stumbled over, breaking her fall slightly with outstretched arms. Her body screamed at her to stop, it needed a break and more than anything, some medical treatment. She could hear them laughing from above her, watching as she struggled to get up.

"Did you see her fall! How pathetic!" A demon laughed, accompanied by his friends. Marinette pushed herself up with a wince and placed a hand on a tree trunk for support, lifting her injured foot slightly.

She glanced back at them with a snarl and they scoffed, the one who laughed at her grinning widely as he descended closer to her, causing her to jump back. He only got closer. He had hair as black as the void and eyes that could only be described as those of a king cobra, yellow and venomous.

"Do you got a death wish, halo?" He sneered, his wings spread out intimidatingly. She wasn't fazed by his attempts of intimidation, she just knew she wouldn't win against him. She shook her head in response. He grinned.

"Good, it makes it more enjoyable to kill you," He said with a devilish grin and she panicked, turning and taking one step forward before she felt the demon hit her in the back with his wing, sending her flying forward, rolling harshly on the forest floor, sticks and rocks digging into her from all sides. She cried out, her wings falling limp beside her. She reached into the bag tied at her hip, grabbing a small ball before quickly turning onto her side and throwing it at the demon, the ball exploding on contact and releasing a dark sparkling powder. The demon hissed in pain, rubbing his eyes to try the ease the effects. He'd be blind for about 30 seconds, hopefully, enough time for her to get away.

She pushed herself up and ran, but each step sent a jolt of pain through her due to the aching joints and her injured foot. She ended up having to hop, using nearby trees for support. She heard the flap of wings behind her and almost forgot there were two more demons with her. She cursed under her breath and tried to move her wing, using the good one to try and gain momentum. She reached a clearing, like a circle of trees with a single boulder near the edge. If she could only rest on the rock, this would be much easier.

Before she got to the boulder, one of the demons rammed into her, knocking her off her feet and skidding against the grass. She winced in pain, using her only working wing to wrap around her protectively. She glanced up, the three demons swarming around her with evil smiles. She whimpered, curling in on herself. She was trapped and they were going to kill her, most likely slowly and painfully.

The demon she had blinded had dark circles around his eyes, probably an effect from the powder, and a snarl on his unlined face. He was the first to approach her, most likely to get her back for what she did to him. Before he could attack, a pair of velvety wings wrapped around her, protecting her in a sphere of black feathers. She was about to try and break out when she heard a disembodied voice, angry and full of authority.

"Stop! You have no business with an angel," The voice, a male, ordered, most likely the source of the wings that covered her.

"Your highness, we were just—" They started but her protector interrupted.

"I don't want a fake explanation, you three will face me later. Until then, wait back in the castle."

"But your highness—"

"That's an order!"

They fell silent and not a moment later, she heard the sound of wings flapping away until all that left was her heavy breathing and rapid heartbeat pounding against her chest. Slowly, the wings surrounding her parted and she was met with an empty clearing where the three demons were. She turned quickly after realizing the demon was behind her, almost taken aback when she saw a young man around her age, dressed in black with a hood over his head, showing only his golden blond bangs and a pair of strikingly luminous chartreuse green eyes.

She didn't know what to do, she felt like she should thank him but considering the demons called him "highness", she figured he was powerful. Great, he only saved her to kill her himself. She backed away quickly, catching her limp wing and slipping back, crying out in pain at the sudden tug of her broken wing.

"Hey, hey! It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you," The demon assured her as he came to her side, crouching down and almost placing a hand on her shoulder before deciding against it. She stared up at him, trying to read his expression through his eyes. He looked... genuinely concerned. She didn't trust him, for all she knew, he could be tricking her.

"Why should I believe that? What if you just want to put me into a false sense of security before killing me?" She asked, propping herself up with her elbows. He chuckled and for a moment, she thought she had him, foiled his 'brilliant plan'.

But then he smiled and she couldn't believe it didn't have a single hint of mischief behind it. It was soft and made her cheeks warm up without her permission.

Stupid Demon and his stupid adorable smile. She would never admit that he was attractive, not until she was 6-feet under.

"You're paranoid, that's a good thing. But you don't have to be like that with me, I won't hurt you." He said, sounding genuine. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to be proven wrong and be shown that demons can be kindhearted.

"Do you promise?" She asked, placing a hand on his arm. He glanced over at her grip, then back into her eyes. She realized with him being this close, that the sclera of his eyes were also green and his pupils were slits like a cat.

"I promise,"

She focused on his words, trying to figure it out. He wasn't lying, she decided.

"Why are you doing this? Why did you save me?" She asked, curious. He glanced off to the side, hesitating.

"I... I don't like the way demons treat angels and vice versa in some cases, I'd like to change that." He explained and Marinette stared at him, then smiled weakly.

"I think you're crazy, but I'd love to see you prove me wrong." She said and he smiled, his wings rustling slightly behind him. She had many questions for him, like why the demons had called him "highness" and why he wore a hood but for now, she started with a simple question.

"What's your name?" She asked, trying to ignore the excruciating pain in her wing and the blood that most likely coated her feathers.

"Adrien, and yours?" He asked as he grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. Well, foot. She winced slightly, still holding onto his arm and tightening her grip on his hand without even noticing.

"Marinette,"

He smiled, "Well Marinette, let's go fix that wing of yours."

* * *

Marinette glanced over at the sad looking demon, resting her head against his shoulder. She thought she saw him smile, just slightly but it disappeared as fast as it came.

"What's wrong?" She finally asked, lifting her head slightly. He let out a sigh and she could tell he was debating whether or not he should tell her.

"It's nothing, just... demon stuff." He replied hesitantly, she wasn't buying it.

"Demon stuff or family stuff?" She asked and by the look on his face, she knew it was the latter. She let out a small sigh, her wing lifting off his back and tucking back into place, her once broken wing now fully healed thanks to Adrien.

He ran a hand through his messy blond hair, pulling down the hood in the process. Two black velvety cat ears sprouted from hiding, rustling slightly to get used to the feeling of being out in the open. This wasn't the first time he's shown her, it had been around the time they first met, her curiosity got the best of her.

"It's nothing you can help with Mari, don't trouble yourself worrying." He said as he glanced over at her, always putting her before himself. If it weren't such a sensitive topic, she might've blushed.

"I might not be able to help with the problem but I can help get your mind off it!" She decided, grabbing his hand and pulling him up, her wings spreading out in all their glory as she prepared to take off. He looked confused despite the small smile tugging at his lips.

"And how do you plan to do that exactly?" He asked, sounding a bit sceptical. She only smiled, her feet lifting off the ground as she moved her wings, still holding onto his hand, urging him to follow.

"Let's fly around a bit, I know how much you love to boast about your gorgeous wings," She said, exaggerating the word 'gorgeous'.

"Not really..." He muttered but she ignored it and pulled him forward, his wings moving instinctively, lifting him up to her level. She giggled as he stumbled slightly, nearly falling back down to the ground again.

"You okay?" She asked with another giggle, keeping her hand locked with his. He nodded, glancing down at the grass below them before meeting her gaze.

"What if someone sees you with me?" He asked, glancing off to the side again. She smiled slightly, thinking of something he said months ago.

"You're paranoid, that's a good thing," She said and he met her gaze, looking almost the slightest bit amazed by perhaps her memory. "But you don't have to worry, we're not that close to angel territory."

"That doesn't mean they can't just snipe me, angels are known for being skilled archers." He said, Marinette rolling her eyes.

"Yeah and I've heard that Demons are cruel and show no mercy, not to mention rip wings to bits. Are you the only exception?" She asked, continuing to fly up a bit higher, dragging Adrien with her.

"What's your point?"

"My point is each one of us has things that we're known for based on race, that doesn't mean it's applied to all of us. I don't think I've held a bow in my entire life," Marinette stated, earning a small smile from the Demon. He let go of her hand —much to her disappointment— and looked behind him, most likely staring at the giant castle in the distance.

Her attention was drawn to his wings, they were twice the size as he was and the feathers were as soft as silk. It was obvious he had never been in a fight before, or if he had, he didn't use his wings which was the smarter way to go. They were a shimmery black, the light glaring off a row of feathers, and the appendages strong and bulkier near the core, connecting with his shoulder blades. Whenever he had them tucked in, they would form a beautiful arch, unlike some angels she knew who's wings were more softer looking and not nearly as bold. She didn't realize she had reached out to touch one of the feathers until he snapped his attention over to her, startled. His feathers trembled, most likely due to a chill that ran through him and she giggled.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." She apologized with a smile, Adrien crossed his arms defensively.

"I wasn't scared, just... startled."

"Riiight cause there's SUCH a big difference," She remarked with a smirk, nudging him in the shoulder. He scoffed, glancing off to the side to hide his smile. There was a small moment of silence beside the sound of wind whipping around their wings before Adrien finally spoke.

"So why the sudden curiosity? My wings are no different from yours." He stated and Marinette snorted, shaking her head.

"Not true, besides the fact that they're both feathered, our wings are completely different. For obvious reasons, they're different in colour. But they're also different in size," She started, dropping back down to the ground to prove a point, her bare feet touching down softly on the grass. Adrien followed pursuit, an amused smile on his attractive face. Marinette expanded her wings to their full length, waiting for Adrien to do the same. It took him a minute to finally understand and he snapped his wings open. If he weren't such a complete dork, it might've looked intimidating.

"See? Your wings are bigger than mine, not to mention your feathers are sharper and slick, mine are more... soft and fluffy." Adrien snorted but she continued, "Your wings also arch more while mine are kinda curvy, so I rest my case. Our wings are different."

Adrien glanced between her wings and his own, going over it for a moment before nodding, pulling his wings back to stretch them out before tucking them back in. Marinette did the same.

"Well, that was educational. I didn't realize you looked at my wings that often," He mused then winked at her teasingly. She glanced off to the side to hide her blush.

"It's not like that, I just find them very pretty, that's all." She muttered, crossing her arms as her wings raised slightly in embarrassment. Adrien chuckled and took a step towards her, her gaze snapping up to meet his.

"Thanks... for helping me out. I really needed a distraction," He said softly, she stared up at him with her mouth agape, not sure how to react.

"Are you leaving?" She asked, surprising herself by how desperate she sounded. He glanced at the ground for a moment then nodded with a sigh.

"I think I should, I kinda left without telling anyone. They're gonna send someone to find me if I don't return soon and I'd rather not let them see you," He answered, once again putting her well-being over his own. She smiled weakly, her brows furrowed slightly.

"Okay, I understand."

He took another step forward and wrapped his arms around her, catching her off guard. She ended up just standing there stunned for a moment before returning the hug, her hands resting just below the base of his wings. She could feel them shift before she was suddenly wrapped in both his arms and wings. He was warm and she couldn't help but sigh in content. She expected him to smell like sulphur or ashes but instead, he smelt like the forest, fresh air and grass. It must've been from meeting up with her so often, their little rendezvous' in the forest just so they wouldn't be seen by other angels or demons. It was their forbidden friendship and she cherished it.

When he pulled away after many minutes, she had to hide her disappointment but she knew he had to leave so she sucked it up and stayed composed.

"Will I see you again tomorrow?" She asked, hoping he'd say yes. He paused for a moment, glancing off to the side in thought before slowly nodding.

"I think so, I'll try to get out of my 'princely duties' and sneak out." He answered with a smile, Marinette returning the look with a happy grin. She never thought she'd ever be excited to see a demon before but he was truly the exception.

"Alright, bye-bye Kitty," She said with a playful wink, tapping his shoulder as she walked by him, her wings spreading out as they prepared themselves.

She heard Adrien chuckle, "See you later Princess," then the sound of flapping wings told her he had left and she couldn't help but smile at his words. She flew back home, her stomach full of butterflies and her cheeks as pink as a sunset.

She had fallen for a demon.


	2. Chapter 2: Burdens

Adrien arrived at the Demon Castle, the sky above clouded and dark, despite it being the middle of the day. He landed on the perch of his balcony, wanting to avoid talking to anyone. He ruffled his feathers before tucking them in tightly, knowing how much of a pain it was to walk around with them in an enclosed room. Accidents happened quite often.

The castle was coloured a dark burgundy with black accents, it was dull and dark and Adrien hated it. He remembered Marinette telling him the Angel Castle was white with golden rims and edges that gleamed in the sunlight. It was always sunny there and the water was always clear. Even the village was clean, farmers and bakers working together. Adrien wished he could witness it, just once. He had grown up surrounded by death and violence, his kingdom didn't have a village, they had an army and factories that built nothing but weapons. Now he understood why it was always cloudy, the air was full of pollution.

He realized he was staring down at the buildings below them, the factories coughing up more smoke than it could produce. Adrien adverted his gaze, his face contorted in disgust. He walked into his bedroom, closing the doors behind him to block out the smell of ash, before going over to his bed where a small black cat he had named Plagg slept. He didn't understand why they put a bed in here, anyone with wings slept in hammocks to help keep them comfortable. He'd only ever slept in the bed once and when he woke up, his wings were asleep and for the next hour, he had to suffer through pins and needles. Better than getting feathers pulled at least.

He walked out of his empty bedroom hoping that, to anyone passing by, it looked like he'd been in there the entire time. He wanted to get to the courtyard— the only place in the kingdom with grass— before his father saw him. But of course, nothing was going the way he wanted it to go today.

"Prince Adrien," Started a demon behind him and Adrien paused, cursing quietly under his breath before turning to look at who spoke. It was his father's assistant, a woman with her hair tied in a bun. Her wings were smaller than most demon's and they were always tucked in tightly, Adrien often wondered if she could even fly.

"Yes, Nathalie?" He replied calmly, despite how his feathers trembled. He knew what was coming, it was inevitable at this point.

"Your father— the King— has issued orders to speak with you, he's waiting in the throne room." She explained, confirming his fears. He remained composed and nodded, lips forming a thin line.

"Thank you for informing me, you may resume your duties." He said and she bowed her head slightly before turning and walking off. He let out a sigh he'd been holding in and let his wings droop, the feathers dragging against the cold marble floor. He turned and walked the opposite way, taking the long way to the throne room. To say he was dreading this conversation was an understatement. He was terrified.

He turned and descended the spiral staircase from the fourth floor living quarters— the royal suites— to the uppermost public level. He nodded a stiff hello to the guards surrounding the stairs and a short stroll later was standing between one of many archways surrounding a drop out from floor to empty air. The opening was grand and round, dropping several stories to the lowest level. On every floor surrounding the drop were archways identical to the one he was standing under— ashy black detailed with intricate burgundy designs depicting the history and folklore of demons throughout the centuries.

The Crater.

This was a hubbub of sorts in the Castle as it was the simplest way to travel from one floor to the next. Generals, soldiers, kernels, the odd councilman and a variety of other personnel— exalted and low ranking alike— flew from floor to floor, creating a light din of rustling feathers and voices that carry and blend in the open space. From what Adrien could see through the arch, guards and soldiers stood in rows, ready for whatever attack the Angels had planned.

"Yeah right," Adrien muttered as he took a step back, let his wings spread before gliding smoothly off the edge, soaring down. Weaving through his people, he earned a few nods and quick shrugs of the wings— synonymous to a wave. He responded accordingly but subtly sped up the descent to a room just off the Crater, landing in front of the row of soldiers. His wings puffed out, flaring as he stood. He tried to ignore the looks he got from the demons, most of them staring at him with thinly veiled curiosity or perhaps an unexplained hatred. He didn't care what they thought of him, it's not like their opinion mattered.

He walked through the grand oak doors to the throne room, spotting his father waiting for him in his overrated glamour chair. Adrien made his way up the carpeted floor. Once he reached the few steps that elevated the throne just slightly above everyone else, he bowed, his wings extending at his sides.

"You wanted to speak with me?" Adrien asked, not meeting his father's eyes. Instead, he stared at the chair. Gabriel stood, his wings so large that they draped over him like a cloak. His father had always been proud of wings— steely grey, metallic, hued with a deep purple. The amethystine was especially vivid in the Castle's lighting. Suspended from the ceiling by chains, floated hunks of charcoal encased by a violet flame that flickered and danced but never sputtered out. They were warm to the touch but didn't burn and interwove themselves into the crevices of the wedges they'd become attached to.

"Yes I did, as you may have already known, you're turning 18 soon," Gabriel stated. Adrien resisted the urge to congratulate him on remembering, unlike the last 17 years. Instead, he nodded and stayed quiet.

"Which means you're coming of age. Soon we will need a new King, and I hope you are prepared to do so." He continued, and Adrien felt his stomach drop. He finally looked his father in the eye, wondering if he could see the fear that suddenly infected him with a single sentence.

"Father, I—"

"You will participate in the pro coronam." He finally finished and Adrien couldn't hide his panicked expression. His breath caught in his throat and he thought he was about to throw up. His feathers trembled, his wings flicking as he processed his father's words.

"That'll kill me! Father, I don't want—" Adrien was interrupted by his father lifting a hand to silence him.

"It is not a choice, it is your duty as Prince and heir to the throne for you to participate. It's a tradition after all," Gabriel explained and Adrien shook his head, taking a step forward.

"But I don't want to become King! This kingdom is corrupted! I will not kill just to take the throne!" Adrien exclaimed respect be damned. He was furious and terrified, making him emotional overall. His wings flaring and bristling in anger and panic, even his cat ears were flicking.

Pro coronam was a battle to the death, four demons go in, and only one leaves victorious, becoming the next King. It was unfair and ended in a bloodbath. Every time.

"You are my son and you will do as I say! We're not arguing this, go back to your room, that's an order!" Gabriel exclaimed firmly, his wings snapping open with authority. Adrien stumbled back, scowling before turning and stomping out of the room. He left the throne room and flew out of the courtroom, the demon soldiers exchanging knowing glances.

Adrien was furious, his father was willing forcing him into a fight that would most likely kill him. He didn't even want to be King, but the other competitors would be there to win, they'll be aggressive and won't go easy on the snobby little prince with the cat ears.

As soon as he entered his room, he slammed the door and ran out into the balcony, his wings already flapping before he got out the door. He needed to escape, he couldn't take any more of this. The demon kingdom was wrong about everything, wrong about angels, wrong about their way of choosing the King, and wrong about him. If Gabriel truly believed Adrien would fight in that god awful competition, he was sadly mistaken.

Adrien soared out of the kingdom, the sky clearing as he crossed the border to no-man's land, what is now forest was once a wasteland, a battlefield from their ancestors. The war was on hold but that didn't stop them from fighting. Angels and Demons tended to hold grudges. He dropped down into a clearing of trees, what was usually the rendezvous spot for him and Marinette was now the victim of his anger.

"That stupid, arrogant, no-hearted little—!" He muttered as he stomped over to a tree, punching it as hard as he could. The tree shook in impact, the spot he hit chipping off and bending. His wings raised up in anger, the feathers rustling.

He lowered his fist, clenching it with his other hand as pain seared through his entire arm. He cursed loudly, not expecting anyone to be around to hear him. He turned, leaning against the tree trunk and glanced up, his eyes meeting a pair of wide caramel brown ones.

But what caught his eye was the pair of ivory white wings rising in alarm.

He smiled awkwardly, not able to raise his hand, "Um... hi?"

* * *

Marinette was helping her parents in the bakery, Tom asking for probably the tenth time for her to put on some shoes. She did so, wearing a pair of pink flats that matched her dress. She had sewn her outfit by herself, the top half a dark brown colour that cut off into a light pink, the colours divided by a white sash. The pink skirt-half of the dress was decorated at the hem with white and dark pink blossoms, making her overall dress look like a cherry blossom tree.

She carried a pan lined with loafs of bread to the back, placing them on a rack to cool down. She rubbed her hands on the apron around her dress and walked back to the front where Sabine was selling to a local customer. Sabine's wings were a size bigger than her small form and a light shade of grey, the feathers aged and soft.

Marinette passed by her mother and pecked her cheek, noticing how Sabine's wings fluttered slightly with content. Marinette smiled before leaving the store and making her way down the cobblestone roads, farmers and villagers passing, sharing a smiling glance with her. She spotted a farmer riding a carriage, the back loaded with hay. The angel's wings were brown and spotted with what she could only assume was mud, proving what kind of work they did. The carriage was being pulled by a horse with wings, the large feathered appendages tucked into the horse's sides. The proper word for these beautiful creatures was pegasus.

She waved at the angel as they passed by, in return, they offered a kind smile then continued with their business. Just as Marinette looked forward, she spotted Alya flying into the kingdom borders. She looked urgent and in a rush considering how quickly she was flying. She stopped immediately when she saw Marinette and waved her over.

Despite how confused Marinette was, she listened and moved closer before taking off with her wings. Once she reached Alya, the angel didn't explain before turning and bolting off, Marinette following behind.

"Where are you taking me?" Marinette asked curiously as she caught up with her friend. Alya only spared her a glance before dashing off, Marinette forced to wait and see. The girl sighed before rushing to catch up.

Alya suddenly stopped and dropped down into a clearing, Marinette realizing it was the same clearing she went to meet up with Adrien all the time. Before she could ask anything, Alya grabbed her wrist.

"You are not going to believe what I found! I was passing by when I heard this really loud noise and guess what I saw," Alya explained as she dragged her friend over to a cluster of trees, Marinette getting a sudden uneasiness in her stomach. It only got worse when she spotted the pair of black wings poking out from behind a tree, someone obviously tied to the base of the trunk.

"Alya, what's going on?" Marinette asked nervously but before she could get an answer, she was pulled by her friend to stand in front of the demon. Her heart skipped in her chest and she had to stifle a gasp. Her wide eyes met his and they both were silent for a moment before he scoffed in disbelief.

"I found a demon! He had punched a tree for some reason and hurt his hand so I kinda panicked when he saw me and threw a stun-orb at him, then tied him to a tree. Pretty impressive huh?" Alya was going on but Marinette was only half-paying attention. The angel's bluebell eyes snapped to his injured hand and from instinct, she crouched in front of him, taking his hand to inspect. He winced in pain but didn't say anything.

"Uh... Marinette?" Alya asked, getting her attention finally, "What are we gonna do with him?"

Marinette glanced back at Adrien with a concerned look, not sure what to say that wouldn't make this situation worse. Alya probably thought it was weird enough that Marinette was comfortable around a demon, saying that she knew him would completely ruin everything.

"We have to help him, he's obviously hurt." She decided and glanced back down at his hand, his knuckles red with blood and already beginning to bruise. "I think he broke his hand..." She muttered before gently letting go of his hand and standing back up. She appreciated how Adrien didn't say anything about the matter.

"Wait, you want to help him? But he's a demon! We should bring him to the King," Alya suggested but Marinette quickly shook her head.

"No, he isn't a threat. You know that too, he didn't try to attack you earlier—"

"Yeah cause he had just punched a tree!"

"—and I know him! Alright?" Marinette finished, sighing in exhaustion. She figured the truth would come out at some point, she just hoped she could trust Alya to not tell anyone.

Her friend stared at her, speechless with wide eyes. Marinette's wings trembled with the sudden awkward silence, not sure what Alya's reaction would be. She heard Adrien take a breath, most likely thinking the same thing.

"You what?" Alya finally asked, Marinette's wings folding tightly with nerves.

"I... I know him, we met a few months ago. He saved me from a few other demons who attacked me," Marinette explained, hoping Alya remembered how Marinette came home one day with a broken wing. It healed, thanks to Adrien.

"He saved you? I find that hard to believe," Alya stated, crossing her arms. Marinette sighed.

"I swear it's true, he's... my friend," Marinette admitted, Alya's eyes widening again. Her wings raised up in a fit of defeat, the girl turning and letting out a small laugh.

"There's a difference between knowing someone and being friends with someone," Alya said and Marinette exchanging a glance with Adrien who looked equally as uncomfortable. She had much to talk to him about, but right now she was occupied with Alya.

"Can I talk to you for a moment? In private?" Marinette asked, not giving Alya a chance to answer before grabbing her arm and dragging her over to the other side of the clearing.

"What is it now?" Alya asked exasperated, Marinette clasped her hands together nervously, her wings raising slightly.

"It's just... I really like him so..." Marinette started quietly, Alya's jaw dropping.

" _WHAT THE SHIT_!?" Alya screeched, Marinette cringing at the noise. She glanced over at the tree Adrien was tied to, noticing how he had leaned over to see what was going on. She felt her cheeks go warm with embarrassment.

"Alya, please quiet down..." Marinette muttered, practically shrinking into herself. She wanted to crawl under a rock and never look at another angel or demon ever again.

"You like a demon!?" Alya asked in a hushed whisper, trying not to completely freak out on her friend.

"He's not like other demons Alya, please believe me. He's actually kind and has never hurt anyone before," Marinette pleaded, her brows furrowed in desperation. Alya stared at her friend for a moment before sighing.

"Alright, fine. But if he ends up not being what you expected, I get to say I told you so." Alya said and Marinette smiled slightly, not believing for a second that Adrien was anything but who he is around her.

"So be it," She agreed before the two walked back over at Adrien, Marinette immediately crouching down to untie him. Alya seemed uneasy but even so, she didn't stop her friend.

Marinette helped Adrien up, his wings ruffling as they stretched out and Alya took a step back, uncomfortable with being so close to him.

"I'm... sorry if I had scared you, I didn't realize you were there," Adrien explained, speaking for the first time in what seemed like forever. Marinette almost forgot how much she loved hearing his voice.

Alya shifted slightly, her wings flicking behind her nervously, "Yeah, it's f-fine."

Marinette was reminded why she needed to talk to him, her gaze drawing back to the demon. "Why'd you punch a tree?" She asked and he nervously clenched his injured hand.

"I was... upset."

Alya stepped in, "You were cursing someone before you punched the tree, did someone piss you off?" She asked and Adrien glanced off to the side, his wings drooping low to the ground. Marinette finally put the pieces together. She let out a small breath, not sure how to react.

"I understand, it's okay, you don't have to explain." She said softly, resting a hand on his shoulder. He glanced over at her, the ghost of a smile crossing his face for a moment. Alya wanted to ask but stayed quiet.

Adrien turned his attention to his injured hand, wincing as he tried to move it. Marinette reached over and gently grabbed his hand again, almost wanting to break the awkward tension and make a joke. She shared a knowing glance with him and they both knew what they had to do.

The only way to fix his hand, was to take it to the healer.


	3. Chapter 3: The Healer

"Take him _where_?" Alya asked, her hands on her hips as Marinette tied a small sack full of magical orbs around her waist, something specially made for angels. Marinette glanced up at her friend with a small reassuring smile.

"To the healer, don't worry it isn't that far. Adrien and I will be back before you even know it," She said and glanced over at the demon who was far from earshot, sitting against a boulder as he wrapped his hand in bandages that Alya had gathered from the village. She smiled slightly, feeling her cheeks burn up.

"Why can't I come along?" Alya asked, not noticing Marinette's obvious staring. The angel glanced back over at her friend, taking a minute to get her thoughts straight.

"Uh... because we'll be fine alone. Not to mention he's taken me there before, so both of us know where to go." She explained and Alya smiled smugly, crossing her arms as she raised a brow.

"Riiight... I have a feeling it's actually because you wanna have some alone time with Mr Tall-Dark-and-Handsome over there," Alya mused with a wink, causing Marinette's face to go redder than before.

"O-of course not!" She defended herself, poorly, and Alya just nodded, not believing any of Marinette's lies. The dark-haired angel's wings fluttered open, her feathers fluffing up in embarrassment.

"Whatever, I just... need to talk to him privately for a while and I decided to take this opportunity to do so," Marinette admitted, and Alya giggled, nudging her shoulder playfully.

"You go girl, just don't tell your parents or like... anyone else about him, you'd most likely be thrown in jail for treason." Alya reminded her, Marinette cringing at the thought, her wings tensing up and tightly tucking in again.

"So you won't tell anyone about him?" She asked and Alya let out a short laugh.

"I swear on my life. If this guy means so much to you, I won't tell a soul that I even saw him." Alya promised, crossing her heart and holding up a hand. Marinette smiled, thankful she could talk to someone else about all of this. She knew if something were to happen, she'd go to Alya for help.

"Thanks, I owe you one."

"Uh, yeah you do. Like a thousand croissants," She joked, Marinette letting out a small giggle.

"Well I should get going if I want to make it back here before it's completely dark out," Marinette said and Alya nodded, glancing up at the sky to see just how fast the sun was setting.

"Yeah, definitely. Go hurry your butt up, who knows what kind of monsters are out there at night," Alya warned and it was Marinette's turn to nod, the thought giving her chills, her feathers visibly trembling.

"Alright, see you later!" The angel gave a small wave before jogging over to Adrien, her wings stretching out as they got ready for the long journey ahead.

"Ready to go?" Adrien asked, standing up and letting his dark feathered wings extend. Marinette nodded with a smile.

"Always,"

He smiled and the two took off.

* * *

Last time they had been travelling to this mysterious healer, Marinette's wing had unfortunately been broken, meaning Adrien had to carry her the entire way. She had felt extremely spoiled, especially since the actual journey there was long and tiring on their wings, with no land beneath them to rest. Halfway there, they were forced to fly across a large lake, nearly the size of a sea. But right in the middle of the lake was an island that held a single house and a small plot of land for growing crops. The owner of this house, was the healer, an old man who's wings had long since stopped working. Marinette couldn't imagine life without her wings, it would be like losing an arm or leg.

The two teens hadn't spoken much throughout this little adventure, perhaps too focused on staying airborne to really feel like talking. Marinette was burning with questions, but wasn't sure when was the proper time to ask them. She risked a glance over at the demon, his attention glued to the water below them. The sun giving the lake a sparkling glow as they soared by, it was almost magical.

Adrien suddenly dropped closer to the water and Marinette thought something was wrong for a moment before realizing he was only getting closer to touch it. He let his non-injured hand skim the surface, and she heard him laugh quietly, a small smile crossing her face at the sound.

"It's nice, isn't it?" She asked and he glanced up at her, his wings pushing the air to lift him up again.

"Yeah, it is. Too bad we can't go in, I'm sure it would be refreshing." He said, sounding distant. She stared at him for a moment, biting the inside of her cheek as she contemplated what to say.

She decided to just go for it, "Hey Adrien?" She asked and he glanced over at her, curiosity in his features. She pursed her lips, wondering if she should even bring up the subject.

"Yeah?" His question edged her on, the words at the back of her throat just aching to escape. She stared down at the water for a moment before sighing.

"You were upset with your father, weren't you?" She asked and the curiosity disappeared from his features, replaced by the same look she saw on him earlier that day, his cat ears flattening against his head, giving him the impression of a scolded kitten. She regretted asking.

"Yeah... it was. He did something that's burdened me quite a lot. I'll tell you about it later if you don't mind." He said, sounding almost like a plead. She nodded in agreement, feeling bad for even mentioning the subject. She watched his wings glide against the wind, moving in timed rhythm. And his cat ears which were still flat against his head, pulled back so that they faced the opposite direction. She wondered why he was the only demon she's ever seen with ears like that. Her curiosity got the best of her.

"Are you the only one with cat ears?" She asked suddenly, catching him off guard, enough that said ears raised in attention. She couldn't help but giggle.

"Um... I'm not exactly sure, but I assume so? Considering every other demon I've met has made some kind of comment on them, which is why I usually wear a hood. They might've been passed down from my mother's side, but I'm not sure." He explained, Marinette tilting her head slightly in thought.

"You've never talked about your mother before, is she nice?" She asked and Adrien's gaze turned distant.

"I don't know, I never met her."

Marinette furrowed her brows in sympathy, finding it extremely unfair that someone so amazing and kind could have such a cruel life. He deserved more, he deserved happiness and love. She felt spoiled for having two loving parents with no high responsibilities like being the heir to the throne or looking perfect all the time. He had so much weight on his shoulders, she was surprised he could still fly.

"What are your parents like? I don't think we've ever talked about them before," Adrien suddenly asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. She glanced over at him and smiled slightly, trying to come up with the best way to describe them.

"They're amazing. My father is a baker and my mother helps him out in the shop," She explained and she watched as Adrien's expression changed to pleasantly confused.

He smiled, despite his confusion, "What's a baker?" He asked and Marinette blinked in surprised.

"Do you not have bakeries in the Demon Kingdom?" She asked and he shook his head. What a sad world he lived in. "A baker is someone who makes bread and cakes as well as many other desserts." She explained and he seemed to understand.

"Is that all Angels eat? Bread and desserts?" He asked and Marinette giggled, shaking her head.

"No, we have farmers who grow fruits and vegetables for us," She continued and Adrien looked like he was either getting all of this or none of it. She chuckled, smiling with amusement. She found it almost hard to believe he didn't know what any of this was, which got her curious.

"What do Demons eat then?" She asked and he sighed as if thinking of it made him sick. She giggled.

"A lot of meat." He answered plainly, extremely over it.

"Well, as soon as I find a way for you to come to the Angel Kingdom, the first thing you're doing is eating our food." She explained and he smiled brightly, nodding in agreement. She looked forward to that day, even if it may never come. How was she supposed to sneak a demon into the kingdom?

While she thought of elaborate plans that were both risky and crazy, Adrien stared at her for a moment longer before adverting his gaze to the water again. Before she knew it, they were coming up to the island.

"Finally, my wings were getting tired," Marinette complained with a sigh, Adrien chuckling despite nodding in agreement. They glided down closer and descended slowly to the ground, landing softly. Marinette was glad she had taken off her shoes earlier, the sand of the shoreline was still warm from the afternoon sun, warming up her cold toes. She hummed in content, noticing how Adrien glanced back at her with an amused smile.

She ran to catch up with him, disappointed when the sand cut off to grass. It just didn't feel the same. Ahead of them, was a small cottage-like home that was surrounded by a small moat with a simple wooden plank acting as a bridge for them to get across. The island gave her a tropical feel, with palm trees and coconuts scattered around the beach. If she could stay here forever, she would. It was isolated from the war that happened across the lake, almost like a refugee island, safe and peaceful.

The two crossed the small bridge, Marinette stopping to look into the moat, spotting a family of turtles making their way into the water. Marinette watched with a smile, noticing the small knock on the door, most likely Adrien with hopefully his good hand. After a moment, the door opened and a short elderly man stood in its place. Marinette had to say goodbye to the turtles and join beside Adrien, greeting the man with a smile.

"Ah, Marinette, I see your wing has healed up nicely." The elderly man pointed out, Marinette nodding as she glanced over at the once broken wing, now fully healed and working again.

"Thanks to you, of course." She replied and the man smiled contently. Then his gaze turned to Adrien and he didn't say anything before stepping aside, letting them inside. They did so, tucking their large wings in tightly so they didn't knock over anything valuable, which was 90% of the house.

The man, also known as Master Fu, closed the door and passed by them, Marinette once again noting how his wings weren't feathered, they were the wings of a dragonfly, what might've been once a vibrant green was now aged and pale. He walked over to a low table, cushions neatly laid on each side as seats, and picked up the vintage teapot that sat on the wooden surface. Marinette glanced around the room, everything was archaic and ancient looking. She was afraid to move, knowing all too well how clumsy she can be.

"Would you like some tea?" Master Fu asked and the two kindly declined the offer, even so, the elderly man poured himself a cup.

"So," He started, sitting down at the table on his knees, waving them to join as he did so, "You two are back, which I can only assume means someone got hurt."

The two teens sat down at the table and Marinette glanced over at Adrien who seemed almost ashamed that it was him this time. Master Fu noticed the look on his face and hummed in understanding.

"What was it this time?" He asked and Adrien carefully extended his injured handout, letting it rest on the table. Master Fu gently unwrapped the bandages from his hand, allowing him to see the full extent of the damage. Marinette didn't realize how badly it was injured until now, his knuckles had completely bruised and it had begun to spread through his hand, colouring it a dark purplish-blue.

Fu hummed again, but this time it was a bit deeper as if trying to figure out if he could fix this. Marinette hoped he could do at least something.

"How did you manage to do this? Get in a fist fight with a wall?" Fu asked, Marinette noting the sarcasm in his question when in truth, it wasn't that far off.

"Tree actually," Adrien answered with a shrug and Master Fu stared at him for a moment, as if trying to figure out if he was lying or not. Then he sighed.

"Well, that will do it," He mumbled and got up from his seat, every one of his movements slow with age. "I'll be right back, stay there." He instructed then walked down a hall to a different room. Marinette glanced over at the demon, trying to read his expression. He had been so quiet lately, it made her uncomfortable. She knew he had problems at home, he had time and time again ranted to her about how awful his kingdom was and how every demon, including his father, was blind with power. She wondered if he actually had a friend there, besides the Phooka he had mentioned once named Plagg. The thought made her once again feel spoiled.

He met her gaze and she nearly yelped, her wings flicking open quickly, almost knocking over a nearby stool. He laughed and she felt her face flush with embarrassment.

"You okay?" He asked with an amused grin, Marinette nodding quickly.

"Yep, perfectly fine. I was just uh... thinking! A-about you. I mean— demons! In general... obviously." She stuttered out, earning another small chuckle from the Demon. He nodded slowly, seeing past her nervous rambling.

"Right, how's that working out for you?"

"I'm already exhausted," Marinette replied and the two laughed, not noticing Master Fu reentering the room.

"I see you two are still getting along," He said and they immediately stopped laughing, their gazes landing on the elderly man who took a seat again with a large bowl, setting it down on the table. "Like they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

The two exchanged a confused glance before Marinette changed the subject and curiously looked into the bowl, her head tilting slightly in confusion. A magenta coloured liquid rippled like water, though considering it bubbled, she wasn't sure what this was.

"What's that?" She asked, her face contorted in disgust. Master Fu chuckled before putting the last ingredient into the mixture, sprinkling a bit of black powder that smelt like something sweet.

"It's somewhat of a healing potion, something I came up with one day," Fu explained and Marinette took in a deep breath, taking in the aroma it produced. It smelt like a perfume, almost like flowers.

"Do I have to..." Adrien started, mirroring the same facial expression Marinette had just moments ago, "...drink that?" He asked and Fu chuckled before shaking his head.

"Thankfully not, I'm sure it wouldn't taste as good as it smells," He said and Adrien let out a sigh of relief, Marinette smiling as she glanced back down at the liquid.

"What's that smell anyways?" She asked and Fu picked up the small vile full of the black powder.

"Roses, black roses to be exact. I figured I'd at least make it smell nice," Fu answered, then carefully pushed the bowl over to Adrien who still had a look of disgust on his face. Marinette wondered if it was a demon thing that he didn't like the smell.

"Aren't I lucky..." He muttered before dipping his entire hand into the liquid, the feel of it making him nearly gag.

"You're a demon aren't you? You should be used to gross things," Fu said with an amused smile and Adrien looked up at him with a frown.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that,"

Fu chuckled, "So be it,"

Marinette glanced around the room again, spotting a turtle in the corner laying on a bed of sand, and a large black ink painting of yet another turtle on a piece of parchment hanging from the wall. She was sensing a theme here.

"How long do I have to keep my hand in here?" Adrien asked tremulously, afraid to ask. Marinette glanced over at the magenta liquid, cringing slightly in disgust and she felt her feathers rustle, mirroring Adrien's that were much more fluffed up.

"Not much longer, give it a few more minutes," Fu answered, cupping his drink and bringing it closer to him before taking a hesitant sip of his tea. Marinette let out a small sigh, leaning against the table with impatience. As much as she'd love to stay there and look around, the sun was setting quickly and she didn't want to stay out past dark. Creatures worse than demons hunt at night.

Master Fu set down his tea cup and once again got up, "I have something for you two," He stated and walked into the other room, a moment later, he returned with two miniature boxes and a small bag. He handed one box to each and Marinette was the first to open hers, marvelling in awe at the pair of black earrings that rested inside. Adrien had to somehow manage to open the small box with one hand, but once he had done it, he took a closer look at the grey ring. Fu placed the small bag down on the table and Marinette couldn't help but stare at it in curiosity.

"They are gifts, I want you two to have them," Fu said and Marinette looked up at him with a gentle smile, grateful for his kind thoughts. She put the earrings on, wanting to show just how grateful she was and he smiled.

"The earrings carry good luck, symbolizing the ladybug." He explained and turned to Adrien, "And the ring gives the wearer power, symbolizing the black cat. I thought that one suited you."

Adrien couldn't help but smile, his cat ears flicking slightly with an emotion Marinette couldn't quite place. She figured it was gratitude.

"Thank you, Master Fu, for everything." He said and Fu bowed his head slightly in respect, smiling softly. He pushed the small bag over to Marinette who hesitated before looking inside, only to find a dozen or more vials of pink liquid, each one marked with a single label that read; 'Healing potion. Drink one when needed.' She smiled in appreciation before tying the bag to her waist with the other one filled with orbs.

"It was my pleasure. Now, let's clean up that hand of yours." Master Fu said and changed the subject back to Adrien's injury. The demon sighed in relief and carefully pulled his hand out of the now gooey substance, Marinette once again cringing in disgust.

Once Adrien had wiped off his hand with a small towel Fu had offered, Marinette noticed that the swelling from the bruising had gone down profusely and most of his natural colour returned to his hand and parts of his knuckles. There was still slight bruising but nothing Adrien couldn't handle.

A smile of relief washed over his face when he was able to move his hand without any problems. He picked up his ring and slid it onto the ring finger of his right hand, also the hand that had once been injured. The grey ring immediately changed colour, turning black with a green paw print in the middle. Adrien blinked in surprise, glancing back up at Master Fu.

"What just happened?" He asked and Fu hummed in thought, finding it perhaps strange or suspicious. Marinette couldn't read anyone's expressions today, she realized.

"The ring has been activated, letting you use its powers. Finding out what kind of powers, is something I'd much rather you practise back in the kingdom." Fu explained and took another sip of his drink. Adrien stared down at his ring in wonder, Marinette also curious about what kind of powers he was granted.

"Do mine give me powers?" She asked, mindlessly tapping her earrings. Master Fu nodded and set down his cup.

"Your earrings give you the power of creation, but they don't seem to be activated at the moment which means you have some work to do," He explained and Marinette furrowed her brows in confusion, glancing over at Adrien who stayed silent.

"Why is his already activated?" She asked, not meaning to come off as snobby or childish, she was just confused.

"That's for him to know and you to find out,"

Adrien continued to stay silent, staring down at his ring in thought. Marinette didn't say anything after that, she simply let her wings droop in disappointment.

"We should get going," Adrien suddenly said and Marinette nodded in agreement before getting up and offering one more smile of gratitude to Master Fu. Adrien got up and the two made their way over to the front door, Fu staying seated at the table with his cup of tea.

"Good luck with your futures, I pray it ends happily." Fu said and waved them goodbye, Marinette smiling slightly as they walked out of the small cabin and she could've sworn she heard Adrien mutter "Me too."

* * *

The fly back had been quiet. No words were shared between them as they made their way across the lake, even as they passed by dangerous waters, the most they said was 'Be careful.' Adrien used to like silence, it meant he didn't have to do anything but sit and do nothing, simply stare off into space without having any responsibilities. But this was a different silence, this was awkward and tense. He couldn't help but feel like it was his fault. Marinette had gone out of her way to help him and all he did in return was keep things to himself and stay quiet. He hadn't even thanked her yet. He decided that was a good way to start a conversation.

"Thank you for helping me," He said suddenly, catching her off guard. She met his gaze, surprised at first before smiling slightly.

"N-no problem," She replied, adverting her gaze to the water below them. They were getting close to the main land, Adrien's wings already starting to ache with exhaustion.

He bit the inside of his cheek, not sure what else to say. He figured she deserved some explanation for earlier, after all, it had always been his plan to tell her. She was all he really had anyway.

"My father wants me to take the throne." He suddenly said and she stopped in her tracks, forcing him to do the same. She stayed airborne and yet he was worried she would fall at any minute, her wings rustling as they flapped as if they were struggling to stay strong. He had to admit he felt the same way when he heard the news.

"He wants you to be king? B-But isn't he already? Why would he replace himself with you?" She asked and he moved a bit closer, glancing down at the water a few feet below them. They were so close to the main land, he began to wonder if he should've just been a bit more patient to tell her.

"I'm turning 18 soon. In the Demon Kingdom, that's the age where a Prince or next in line must fight for the crown in a competition called Pro Coronam." He explained, the words sending a chill through his spine and wings. She met his gaze, her eyes wide in poorly veiled horror.

" _F-fight_? When's this happening?" She asked and he swallowed a lump in his throat, finding his mouth suddenly dry.

"In two days. My birthday." He managed to say, trying to mask how brittle his voice sounded. He couldn't be weak at a time like this, he couldn't keep running from the inevitable. He was the Prince, he had to be strong.

"Two days..." Marinette repeated quietly, pursing her lips together in a thin line as she adverted her gaze. He couldn't read her expression, there was too much clustered together. Her wings rippled but he wasn't sure what it meant, all he could really go on was how her hands were clenched tightly and how she refused to make eye contact. Then she suddenly relaxed her tense muscles and glanced up at him.

"I can't imagine what you're going through right now." She said as she moved a bit closer and he opened his mouth to speak, only for no words to come out. He struggled to find the right thing to say, ending up backing away as she came closer.

"I-I'm fine," He muttered out, not meeting her gaze. She frowned, grabbing his wrist to stop him from moving away.

"Adrien," She said softly and he paused, his brows furrowed as he glanced off to the side. He tried to focus on something besides her stare, he tried to focus on the breeze that travelled across the surface of the lake and brushed against the feathers of his wings or the sound of waves crashing against rocks below them or the sun disappearing beyond the horizon. Anything but the truth standing in front of him.

"I don't want to be king," He admitted quietly, trying to keep his voice from wavering. He felt Marinette's grip on his wrist tighten slightly, forcing him to look back at her. Her eyes were doleful and it made his chest ache, his cat ears pulled back against his head sorrowfully.

"I know..." She muttered and stared up at him for a moment before glancing off to the sky, her eyes full of trepidation. He knew what she was thinking, the sun was completely set at this point, the moon their only beacon of light. It also meant monsters were awakening.

"We need to go," Adrien said urgently, almost glad for the change of subject. She nodded quickly and the two rushed back to the main land, landing without much grace. As soon as they touched down, they ran, their wings tucking in tightly. Adrien could see perfectly in the dark, his green eyes luminous and every instinct inside him told him to just keep running, to go back home or find a light source. Monsters couldn't go into the light so if they could only find someplace that was lit up, they'd be safe.

He glanced back at Marinette only to find she was gone, his heart dropping down into the pit of his stomach as he searched frantically for the angel. She didn't have night vision like him, he knew that, so he should've been guiding her. He cursed himself for being so naive.

"Marinette!" He called out, his cat ears flicking every which way to find any trace of her. He heard a bush rustle and a branch snap, but he had a sinking feeling that it was her. His heart pounded in his chest rapidly and he backed up against a tree so that nothing could come up from behind him. Or at least he hoped not.

He heard a scream and his breath hitched, recognizing the voice to be Marinette's. He turned to the direction it came from and ran without a second thought. He only began to doubt what he was doing as he got closer. He had learned about every monster in these woods, he knew what they capable of, voice mimicking was one of the many skills they had. This could very well be a trap but he couldn't risk it actually being Marinette, he had to help her.

He came up to a clearing and he searched around quickly, his cat ears tilting to the side as he heard a noise, like someone calling for him. He heard another scream and he took off in the direction it came from, it was louder this time, meaning he was close. His heart nearly stopped when he heard her cry out his name in desperation, the sound pushing him to move faster.

He stopped in his tracks when he finally found the angel, pressed against a tree surrounded by monstrous wolf-like creatures, their eyes blood red and their fur as dark as the night sky. They were hellhounds. These weren't just normal monsters, these were Demon trained hellhounds.

"Hey!" Adrien shouted firmly, the canines turning to look at him, their large teeth bared and red eyes glowing with rage. Adrien extended his wings and they paused, immediately recognizing him as a demon. He felt his ring warming up with power, and without a second thought, he snapped his fingers, a spark igniting in his hand that grew into a large green hued flame. It didn't burn him, it only danced in his palm, scaring away the hellhounds with its light. They tucked in tails between their hind legs before they all ran off. He extinguished the flame, simply closing his hand to do so and tucked his wings back in. There was a beat of silence before Marinette suddenly fell to her knees and collapsed to the ground, Adrien immediately rushing over to her side to make sure she was alright.

He carefully turned her over onto her side and let her head rest on his lap. Now that he was this close, he could finally see the damage done; her dress was torn at the hem, her legs were bloodied with scratches and her arm had large red bite marks against her porcelain skin. His heart sank with shame and guilt, this was his fault. He should've stayed with her, he should've gotten to her faster.

He gently pushed her bangs to the side and placed a hand on the back of her neck to lift her head off his lap and carefully set her down on the ground. He checked her pulse, relieved to find one, despite how slow it was. He made sure she was still breathing, leaning down to feel her soft breaths brush against his cat ears which flicked slightly at the feeling.

"Marinette?" He asked, checking to see if she was responsive. When she didn't move, he cursed under his breath and reached over to open the small bag tied at her hip, making sure it was the right one full of vials and not the one with orbs.

He glanced around quickly to make sure they were safe from any monsters before grabbing a vial and setting it down for a moment as he snapped his fingers one more time to summon a flame, shooting a ball of it onto the forest floor to create some light to confirm their safety. He closed his fist before grabbing the vial of pink liquid again and popping the top off. He let out a sigh, knowing what he was about to do would most likely end with him getting scolded or slapped. He was willing to take that chance if it meant saving Marinette.

He downed the entire bottle of pink liquid, trying not to swallow or gag from the sudden taste of something sickeningly sweet. His taste buds weren't used to anything that wasn't charred yet. He quickly leaned down and captured her lips with his, letting his mouth part open slightly to let the liquid seep through into hers. He closed his eyes, his brows furrowed as he placed a hand on the back of her neck to pull her closer so he didn't have to lean down so much. He felt Marinette suddenly grab his arm and he forced himself not to pull away until she had every last drop. She had definitely woken up now, noises of surprise muffled against his lips and before long she finally began to gulp the potion down.

As soon as all of it was all gone, he pulled away, no longer needed for her to drink it. She sat up and wiped her mouth of any excess potion on her chin and lips. Adrien noted how pink her cheeks were but didn't say anything. He'd be embarrassed too. He watched as the cuts on her legs and arms suddenly began to heal themselves, the gashes closing and skin reforming. All that was left was trails of blood from before. Her wings flicked, ruffling her feathers as she took a moment to process what just happened. He stepped in before she could say anything.

"Sorry," He said quietly, his cat ears pinned down in shame. Even his wings tensed up in embarrassment. Marinette stared at him for a moment, mouth agape as if to say something. He couldn't meet her gaze, instead, he stared at the ground, feeling his cheeks suddenly burn up. But not the same reason why Marinette's were.

"Don't be." She finally answered and he glanced up at her, "Y-You saved me once again, I should be thanking you." Her voice wavered slightly and he smiled.

"Anything for you, Princess," He cooed and Marinette's face flushed even more, her gaze falling to the ground to hide her smile. He couldn't help but grin in amusement.

"P-Princess? You're the royalty here, not me." She said teasingly, despite being the one in a blushing mess.

"But every Prince needs his Princess," He replied with a smile and she glanced up at him with an emotion he couldn't quite place. Then again, he didn't know what love looked like. He got up and offered a hand to which she gladly accepted, then dusted off her torn dress.

"Let me help you get home, we can avoid the monsters better if we stick together." He said and she nodded, glancing down at her hand as he took hold of it, not making the same mistake like last time. She smiled.

"Okay,"


	4. Chapter 4: Pooka

**A/N: 6.2K words! By far the most I've ever written in one chapter.**

* * *

Pookas were special creatures that had the power of shapeshifting into any animal they wanted, they were mischievous and loved to play tricks on poor souls that wandered by. It was possible to tame these beasts, but only if you're kind and gentle towards them, so Demons never got very far with them when it came to training so they moved onto a new breed that they eventually named demon horses. Very original of them. Adrien, on the other hand, had been the first and only demon to tame a Pooka, to which he later on named Plagg.

"Did you bring any cheese?" The small black cat asked as Adrien entered the room, the Demon had been absent-minded all morning, distracted by the events that took place the night before. Without a word, he tossed a wheel of Camembert onto the bed for Plagg to eat and usually he would just dig in right away but today, he watched the Demon in curiosity.

"What's wrong?" He asked, though, by the tone of his voice, it didn't sound like he really cared. Adrien sighed and glanced out the window of the balcony, he could see the dark forest and just barely make out the shape of the Angel castle.

"Is this about those rendezvous' you've been having?" Plagg asked again, getting a suspicion that he was right. When Adrien simply glanced down at his hands, Plagg smiled, even in a cat's body. "If you love this girl so much, why not just run away? You'd solve all your problems,"

Adrien glanced up at him with a hard stare, "It's not like that. She's just a friend," He said, averting his gaze again to the floor. Plagg sighed and leapt off the bed, making his way over to the Demon as he took a seat at a nearby table. Plagg jumped up onto the table, sitting in front of Adrien who avoided eye contact.

"Just a friend? If she's just a friend then why'd you stay up all night thinking about her? Why'd you save her yesterday?" Plagg asked and Adrien glanced over at him with furrowed brows, not sure how that could possibly relate to what he was getting at. Then Adrien remembered the little intimate moment he had with her and how he had given her a suggestive nickname. He groaned, banging his head against the table, causing Plagg to jump back slightly.

"I called her Princess," Adrien mumbled and Plagg didn't even try to cover up his amusement. He chuckled and Adrien once again groaned in shame, his wings drooping low to the floor, "This isn't funny Plagg!"

The Pooka laughed, "Just a friend, hm?" He teased and Adrien frowned, despite the heat that flushed his cheeks. What were his feelings towards Marinette? He cared about her, of course, but he had always just considered her a friend. She made him smile and laugh and she was the only person he could really be honest and talk to. She brought out the best of him. He didn't have to fake anything around her, he could just be himself. Was he really just in-denial?

Perhaps he was, perhaps he truly did love her and he was just trying to see past the fact that they could never be an actual couple, not when their Kingdoms hated each other. Not to mention he was a Prince and she was just a baker's daughter, even if Angels and Demons could be together, they wouldn't let him be with someone so common.

But she wasn't common, not to him. She was amazing, she was special. She was brilliant and kind, and always found a way to make his darkest days bright again. Her smile was enough to warm his heart and whenever he looked in her eyes he would get lost in the sea of blue. She was beautiful and—

"Oh my god," He started, lifting his head off the table, "I'm in love with her." He admitted with a smile, his wings ruffling with excitement.

Plagg smiled smugly, "Told you so,"

Adrien's grand realization was cut short when he heard a knock on his door, the smile fading from his face. He straightened up, checked to make sure he was wearing solely black and cleared his throat.

"Come in," He called and Plagg jumping off the table without a sound. The door opened and Nathalie stepped in, her hands awkwardly at her sides. Adrien could've sworn he saw a trace of pity on her face and he could only assume it was directed towards him.

"Your father is concerned you are not prepared for Pro Coronam, he would like you to train today." She said and Adrien tilted his head slightly.

"He would like me to train or ordered me to train?" He asked and Nathalie paused before sighing quietly.

"Ordered."

Adrien nodded, not the least bit surprised. He glanced over at Plagg for a moment before returning his gaze, "Thank you, Nathalie, I'll begin in a minute I just want to finish speaking with my Pooka first." He said and Nathalie glanced over at the black cat who merely meowed in response. Adrien rolled his eyes.

'Way to make me sound like an idiot,' He thought as he glanced over at the cat again.

"So be it, I'll let your father know you'll be starting soon," Nathalie replied, nodding curtly before turning and leaving the room, closing the door behind her. Adrien let out an exhausted sigh, he didn't really want to do training, the only thing he ever practised was fencing and even then Demons still made fun of him for practising such a "useless" fighting style.

Plagg jumped back onto the table and sat back down, lifting a paw to examine before settling it back down.

"When are you gonna tell the angel that you love her?" He asked, not wasting time getting back onto the subject from before. Adrien glanced out the window briefly, catching a glimpse of the forest again.

"Later today when we meet up in the forest," He answered and Plagg nodded, his chartreuse green eyes drifting over to the window for a moment.

"What if she rejects you?" Plagg asked and despite dreading the thought, Adrien merely shrugged.

"I'm most likely gonna die in two days anyway right? Might as well make my last few days worth it, and even if she does reject me, which I'm guessing she will, at least she'll know." He reasoned and Plagg went silent. Adrien had accepted the fact that he wasn't going to win the Pro Coronam, he viewed these next two days as his last and he was okay with it. Plagg had a feeling that he was lying to himself.

"Let me help you train," Plagg suddenly said, Adrien, glancing back over at the cat who stared back at him directly.

"Wh— But, how?"

"I'm a Pooka, remember?" Plagg said, jumping off the table to stand on the ground, his small cat body melted away and grew until it was the size of a normal person. The black mist vanished to reveal Plagg once again but in the form of a Demon that looked exactly like Adrien but with black hair, green eyes striking with mischief.

"I have many hidden surprises,"

* * *

"Stop tucking in your wings so much! You're too tense," Plagg sighed, casually letting his sword rest against his shoulder. Adrien gripped his weapon tightly, then let his body relax, his wings hesitantly stretching out behind him. Plagg waited a moment longer before racing towards the demon, Adrien taking a step back as he got ready for the blow, his sword raised at the ready.

Adrien realized the Pooka was aiming for his wings almost a second too late and he quickly stepped to the side, Plagg's blade skimming past his feathers.

"That's why I kept my wings tucked in! They're too vulnerable in battle," Adrien whined and Plagg turned to face him, shaking his head.

"They can be if you don't know how to use them properly. Your wings are more than just two big weights on your back," Plagg explained, walking towards the blond and placing a hand on the muscled pinion, causing an uncomfortable shiver to run down Adrien's spine. He hated when people touched his wings, it felt like an invasion of privacy, they were too personal despite being out in the open. The only person that has ever touched his wings and got away with it, was Marinette.

"Use your wings as an extra pair of arms or legs, a weapon all on their own," Plagg continued, letting his hand brush against the dark feathers, earning another visible shiver from the Prince. "Club someone with them or kick out someone's legs from under them or even snap someone's neck for the love of cheese! Just use them as an advantage and less as a vulnerability."

Adrien stared at him for a moment, mouth agape and stunned into silence. He almost forgot Plagg was even a Pooka, he spoke about wings as if he had them all his life. Pooka's always did give great advice.

"R-Right, I think I can do that." Adrien finally said, fluffing up his wings if only to get them away from Plagg's touch. The Pooka smirked teasingly as if challenging him to try. He raised his sword, pointing it at the Demon in anticipation, Adrien running forward to strike first.

He brought his sword down and Plagg stepped out of the way, Adrien's reflexes fast enough to block his blade as it came at him, aiming once again at his wings. Adrien twisted, his wings swooping around and gaining enough momentum to smack Plagg in the side, sending him crashing to the ground. Adrien stumbled back, his eyes wide at the realization of what he just did, though he wasn't sure how to react. He heard Plagg let out a breathy laugh despite just getting the air knocked out of him and he met his green cat-eyed gaze.

"See? You can use your wings," Plagg pointed out as he slowly got back to his feet, using his sword to help him up. "Now, let's do it again."

Plagg was too fast for him, Adrien could barely see the tip of his sword when he moved, it was nearly impossible to react on time. He stumbled back just as Plagg got closer and he felt a blade press against his neck and before he knew it he was pushed to the ground, landing hard on his back. He groaned in pain as he felt his wings crush against him and the floor, going limp even after trying to pick them back up. Plagg sat atop his stomach, pinning him down and holding the blade against his neck.

Adrien placed a hand on the handle of the sword, trying to push it away but Plagg kept it firmly in place. The next thing he tried was trying to push Plagg off him, to no avail. The Pooka laughed.

"If you're gonna be like this in the Pro Coronam, you'll be the first one killed." He lectured, Adrien scowling as he quickly thought of a way out of this. Then it clicked in his head and he lifted his wings up as far as they could go, before slamming them into Plagg, pushing him off and causing him to drop his sword as he stumbled back. Adrien grabbed the two fallen swords and bounced back up, immediately running towards the distracted Pooka. Once he got close enough, he elbowed him straight in the chest and Plagg tumbled back, rolling to a stop on the dirt covered ground.

Adrien didn't realize he had activated his ring until he saw the green flames moving from his hands to the blades, watching them dance against the silver metal. The next few moments went by in a blur, Adrien felt like he couldn't even control himself. He spun the swords in his hands tauntingly and walked straight up to Plagg who laid on the floor, then brought the swords down hard, aiming for his wings. Plagg thankfully tucked his pinions in at the very last moment, the blades piercing the ground and the flames dancing for a few more seconds before dying out. Adrien backed away as he met Plagg's wide-eyed gaze.

"Do I pass?" Adrien asked teasingly and Plagg stayed silent, glancing at the two swords beside his head before smiling slightly.

"Yeah, you'll be fine."

Adrien helped the Pooka up and glanced around the small training area, realizing Demons had gathered to watch their exchange. Their eyes were wide with astonishment or perhaps shock and Adrien didn't understand why until he remembered he had activated his ring, a power no one had seen before. He could already hear their whispers, giving him nicknames and making speculations. As he was heading for the door back to the castle, he heard a demon say as he passed, "Prince Adrien, the Pyromaniac."

* * *

Adrien Agreste awoke slowly from his well-deserved nap, Plagg practically forced him to get some sleep after the training to make up for the hours lost the night before. Grogginess clouded his mind, leaving him in a sort of not-asleep-not-conscious suspension. No worries, no fears, no troubles — perfectly content but unaware of anything and everything. He lay like that for what felt like an eternity but was probably closer to ten minutes before moving a muscle. Determined to stretch out this groggy contentedness, he still did not open his eyes, opting instead to extend his legs and arms as far as he could, rigid. The stretch brought some memory back to his limbs and revived them from the heavy slumber. This prompted the inevitable — Adrien's mind unwillingly became flooded with thought and emotion and consciousness. Annoyed, the boy opened one bleary eye, and then the next. His mind was no longer clouded, crystal clear now as a pane of glass and Adrien sighed out his nose before rising, cracking his back, and strolling across the room to change.

He pulled off the black silk pyjama pants and emerald green tank-top he'd worn to bed, flinging them back onto the unmade covers, and pulled open the door to his closet. It was massive, of course. In a display case covering 3/4 of the left wall were six mannequins, brandishing what looked to be ceremonial wears. Many he'd never had to use and many, even he has to admit, were beautiful, but he regarded them testily nonetheless.

The closest one was of silk — ebony black, glittering with rubies ranging from the size of a pinpoint to a quarter. These ran in rivulets from the shoulders, twining down the arms and halting at the cuffs, while the trails down his chest faded out at the bottom of his ribcage. Underneath, a blood red dress shirt, paired with a black collar type necklace, bearing the same red jewel inlaid with the family crest as a pendant. The pants were the same colour as the coat, ringed very simply with even sized rubies around his calfs. He knew from experience that the back had no rubies tracing down it, rather, encircling the holes left for his wings. It was a heavy outfit, but beautiful and thankfully bearable.

The outfit next to it was deep purple. It had a long tail coat and tight trousers, a lighter purple dress shirt and, again, a black necklace (this time with a black jewel) inlaid with the family crest in purple. The cuffs and hems of this one were also black. Adrien detested this outfit, partly because it was simply worthy of being detested but also because the colour scheme was a nod to his father who had chosen purple and black as "his" colours long ago.

They continued down the row, no two similar. All six had different purposes and different occasions on which to be worn. However, Adrien strode past those. On his right were other assortments of clothing. None as official or ceremonially as on the mannequins, but more what he should be wearing around the castle.

The shirts were in vertical drawer type models that Adrien would pull outwards to see the shirt, encased in glass. These panels lined the entire upper right wall. The bottom half of the wall was the opposite. Same drawers, but horizontally for the pants. Separating the two was larger, wider drawers. These compartments held jewels, hats, ties and shoes of all different colour, type, material, style and just about anything else you can think off. Each one held a different one of the four. All the drawers, as well as the panels below and above the set-in display case.

Adrien strode past all of these, towards the large circular mini-room at the end which was full of floor to ceiling mirrors all around. He stopped just short of the curtains drawn across the entrance, turning to the last quarter wall beside the display case. This significantly smaller wall held all his riding leathers for when he mounted his Pooka, Plagg, as well an assortment of clothes he'd bought himself and hidden amongst them.

He drew out his favourite outfit — a pair of dark wash, stretchy jeans, an emerald green shirt, a pair of sneakers, ebony gloves and a long cloak as black as his wings. The holes for those were sealable in this, in the case of wanting to hide them. They were easily recognizable, after all, sleek and inky where most were unkempt and ashy. The cloak could also don a glittering golden threaded pattern, weaving across his back and shoulders. However, through no magic of his own but rather, the cloak's, he could fade the pattern to the same colour as the rest of the garment with a thought and a well-placed flick of his wrist.

Adrien couldn't remember the last time he wore this outfit, it had always been something he wore while in the forest to stay hidden but after meeting Marinette, he didn't have to be afraid of hiding anything. But today was different, he had decided that today would be the day that he stepped out of the castle walls and into the village to see what life was truly like in the Demon Kingdom.

The hardest part would be sneaking out of the castle without Nathalie noticing, he didn't want his father to be alerted of his misbehaviour. He had never been punished before, he was always the perfect image of a Prince and a son, he certainly didn't want to break that streak because of his curiosity. He spotted Plagg sleeping on his bed, reverted back to his usual cat self. Adrien preferred him better as a cat, his human-self made Adrien feel like he was looking into a mirror, it made him uneasy. He quietly made his way over to his bedroom door, glancing over at the dark clock on the wall to check how much time he had before meeting up with Marinette. He decided he'd be fine as long as nothing happened down in the village and escaping the castle went smoothly. He just hoped luck was on his side today.

He exited his room and quietly closed the door behind him, pulling up his hood as he glanced up and down the hallway, checking to make sure he was alone. When he was certain he was alone, he made his way down the dimly lit hall, passing by violet hued charcoal lanterns that hung from their chains, giving the walls a radiant glow that reflected off Adrien's cloak. It was quiet in the castle, which wasn't unusual but also not common, he was expecting to find guards doing their daily rounds through the halls, but instead, Adrien was greeted by silence. Perhaps they were avoiding the sleeping chambers to give the royal family some privacy, but even that seemed absurd. It wasn't until he came across The Crater that he really understood why barely anyone was around, they were all gathered in the room below, seemingly taking a break or having some sort of meeting. Considering he didn't hear his father's voice, he figured it was the former. He did, however, overhear a conversation between a group of Demon's, their voices loud and slurred. Of course, they were drinking, it wouldn't be a Demon gathering if alcohol wasn't involved. He rolled his eyes and was just about to continue down the hall when he heard his name and froze in place.

Thankfully, it wasn't someone recognizing him but instead, it was the group below gossiping; "Did you see Prince Adrien's fight earlier? He nearly got his ass kicked by a dumb Pooka, there's no way he's gonna win Pro Coronam." A demon with a rough and hoarse voice said and Adrien peered over the ledge just slightly to get a better look.

"Wait, he's joining that? Says who?" Replied the demon beside him who's voice was a bit more pleasant to listen to than the first, save for the fact that he sounded like a stuck-up stubborn little child.

"Says the King you numbskull, he practically forced him into it too, I overheard the whole conversation yesterday. That brat's gonna get destroyed out there."

"If he wasn't such a pacifist maybe he'd have a chance in all of this,"

"Yeah but there ain't no way he gonna change in one day,"

One day? But Adrien was told it would take place on his birthday- in two days-, there's no way they changed dates like this, right?

"I almost feel bad for him, but to be honest, he never really did fit in with the rest of us. I'm not even sure if I'd consider him a Demon," The first demon continued, and Adrien could feel his fist clench, the bruises on his hand from the day before just slightly aching. He ignored the pain and rushed down the hallway, hoping no one saw him take off. He couldn't believe the things they said about him behind his back, he was the Prince for crying out loud! They should respect him and support him through his toughest times. Then again, he never really saw himself much like them either, why was he suddenly hurt by their words?

He shook off the thought and ran to the steps leading to the front gates, entering a large rectangular room that most of the time was used to hold ceremonial events such as crowning or announcements. The room was dark and cold, much like the rest of the castle, and Adrien could just make out the two guards standing watch at the main entrance, now the real question was how was he suppose to get by them unnoticed?

He nearly gasped in realization and outstretched his left arm slightly, placing two gloved fingers on the inner part of his forearm and dragging them up towards his hand, after a few seconds, an invisible facade enveloped him completely. It was a magic that all Demons were born with, it lived inside them and was used mainly for stealth, after many many years it inherited the name Shadow Cloaking.

Adrien quickly passed by the guards and waited for a moment as a carriage of coal-like rocks was let in through the gates, then he took the opportunity and snuck by before the metal doors closed again. He was finally out, of course, he had been out before but this time was different. He wasn't going to the forest but instead the village he (if he was lucky) would rule soon. He had no idea what to expect.

The facade eventually disappeared and thankfully he was a good distance away from the castle that no guards noticed him, save from the passerby's that shot him strange looks. He kept his head down, checking to make sure his cloak covered his wings and that the hood was properly over his cat ears, and peeked up only to glance around and successfully avoid running into people. The village was dirty, as expected, and noisy. He spotted at least 8 blacksmiths and 6 butchers that were either covered in ash or grime, there were merchants and carpenters and even a tailor or two, and yet he didn't spot a single farmer or baker. He began to wonder if Marinette had butchers in the Angel Kingdom, it didn't sound very likely. Besides all the blacksmiths and merchants, he noticed that the majority of Demons were either miners or soldiers or just plain thieves. The thought made him clench the fist that his ring was on.

The village was a sea of black, everyone was wearing dark and murky clothing and their wings were ruffled and unkempt, their feathers just barely hanging on. Some demons here only had one wing, the other just a stub of what used to be a forelimb. He shivered at the sight. He didn't want to find out how they ended up with only one wing, he could only hope it wasn't as painful as it sounded.

He stepped to the side as a carriage pulled by a demon horse sped through the crowd, nearby villagers rushing to get out of the way, a smaller child stumbling back right into Adrien. He immediately placed a hand on the child's shoulder to steady them, and they turned quickly to face him, obviously afraid of running into the wrong person. The child was a young girl who held onto a torn and sooty stuffed animal in her small hands, her pale face smudged with dirt and ash and her long dark hair was greasy as well as her tiny ruffled grey wings. It was evident that this girl was from a very poor family based on her appearance and Adrien couldn't help but feel pity.

"You okay? Nothing broken?" He asked politely, crouching down slightly so she wasn't so intimidated. The girl nodded, staring at him with a nervous gaze and clenching her stuffed animal closer to her. He offered a soft smile and she stared at him for a moment longer before smiling slightly. Then she seemed to remember something and she glanced around quickly, her wide brown eyes searching the crowd before meeting Adrien's again.

"Follow me," She suddenly said and ran off, Adrien not sure what to expect but following anyway. The girl turned down an alley and passed by a sleeping cat that opened its beady yellow eyes only to watch Adrien rush by. On the other side of the alley was another busy market street and he nearly lost her in the crowd, but eventually catching up with her as the two turned onto a dirt road that led to a field of dark grass, broken and cracked fences lining the path with even more shops and stores populating either side of the road. Adrien immediately heard the whining of horses nearby, but they weren't the same shrill sound of a demon horse, no, Adrien knew this sound all too well. It was a Pooka's cry.

"What's going on?" He asked the girl who just pointed at a carriage struggling to make its way down the dirt road, a few Demon's surrounding it with what appeared to be whips in their hands.

"They're hurting her," The girl replied, her voice quiet and brittle.

Adrien couldn't stand by watching them punish an innocent creature like this and even after it was deemed impossible for demons to tame them, why now were they trying again? Adrien rushed towards the commotion, swiftly moving out of the way of passing Demons who didn't spare him a second glance. He could see it now, the Pooka jumping back on its hind legs as Demons snapped their whips and yelled at it, commanding it to move faster. The black horse let out a high-pitched squeal and kicked its hind legs at the carriage, struggling to escape. Just before a demon cracked a whip against the creature, Adrien came in between the two and took the brunt of the attack, lifting his arms to protect his head and the whip came down and got him in the side. The Pooka squealed again and stepped back, meanwhile, a group of demons had seen what had happened and were now watching in interest.

"Hey! What's your deal? You're disrupting a royal order!" The demon shouted and Adrien lowered his hands, keeping his head low and glancing up only to look over the demon who had spoken. He wasn't wearing royal guards, therefore he was either lying or very low in ranking.

"Oh yeah? And who gave you orders to attack a Pooka?" Adrien asked lowly and the Demon straightened out, raising his chin proudly.

"Commander Dagon, as a matter of fact."

Adrien nodded slowly, hiding the small smile on his face. "And why exactly are you using Pookas instead of typical demon horses? As I've been told, Pookas can only be tamed with kindness, but you sir, seem to be the opposite."

"How dare you insult a royal guard!"

"You are no royal guard! You don't even wear their clothes!"

The demon hesitated, glancing around at the gathering crowd, "I'm... I'm undercover."

"Well I'm pretty sure you just blew your cover," Adrien remarked with a smirk, the demon growled and raised the whip again, Adrien taking a step back as he prepared for the blow, the whip snapping against his arm. He grunted and turned his body away from the assault, only for the whip to strike him again on his back, cracking against his wings. A cry of pain escaped him and he felt his knees give out, leaving him on the ground. He reached a hand back to touch his wings and his heart dropped when he felt something fall into his hand when he pulled it back his worst fears came true. A single one of his slick black feathers sat in his palm, giving him enough reason to believe that his wings were either damaged or moulting. He hoped it was the latter.

"Oh I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" The Demon asked sarcastically, a few of the surrounding men laughing at his pain. Adrien let his feather slowly drift to the ground and he stood back up, glancing over his shoulder at the Demon once again who's face was contorted into a grin. The demons who had been with him during the whole Pooka situation joined by his side, and by the looks of it, they were ready for a fight. Adrien turned to face them, scanning the group to see just how outnumbered he was. 5 to 1, his odds weren't good but then again, they didn't even know he was the Prince.

Before he could try and reason with them, one of the demons ran towards him, swinging a punch aimed at his face but Adrien simply moved out of the way and returned the blow straight to the demon's stomach. Two more came at him and he took a step back as one with purple hair tried the same thing the first demon did, only for Adrien to kick his legs out from under him and then catch the next Demon's punch, pushing him back to stumble and fall over the purple haired one. The last two demons, including the one with the whip, hesitated to advance, Adrien suddenly feeling a bit better about his odds.

"Well?" The demon with the whip said to the one beside him, "Get him!" The demon ran towards him but before he could even get close, Adrien put an end to the fight, his hands engulfed in the same green-hued flames as before. The demons all backed away in fear, never before seeing a power such as his.

"Enough fighting, I only want you to stop hurting this Pooka." He ordered and the Demon from before, despite the look of fear in his eyes, gathered enough courage to snap back at him.

"Your pathetic magic tricks mean nothing, we have our own business so piss off!" He barked and Adrien sighed, closing his gloved fist to extinguish the flame. The demon smiled and Adrien simple turned and began to loosen the ropes on the Pooka.

"Then I will just let him go," He said and the demon shouted at him to stop, snapping the whip against the ground to try and scare him off. Adrien ignored it, which was his first mistake and he felt the whip get him right in the head. The blond stumbled into the black horse and placed a hand on his head, wincing in pain. His eyes widened when he realized his hood had fallen down from the whip and a collection of gasps made their way around the surrounding group of demons. He didn't turn to face them, they all could see his golden hair and cat ears, he was like a deer caught in the headlights, completely exposed.

"Y-you're... P-Prince Adrien..." The demon said in shock behind him and Adrien cursed under his breath. Before he could even turn around, someone spoke up on his behalf.

"Yes, he is which means he deserves an apology for everything that just happened. Assault to a member of the royal family is a crime punishable by death," The voice, a female, said and he glanced over his shoulder slightly to see the 5 demons who had attacked the Pooka drop to their knees, their unkempt wings trembling.

"O-Our sincerest apologies y-your highness, none of us recognized you in your attire," One of them stuttered out, sounding more genuinely scared than apologetic. The female who had stepped in for him had long brown hair and dark auburn wings that looked surprisingly clean for a simple villager. Adrien turned, he figured there was no point hiding it now, everyone knew who he was.

"You will not be punished for what happened today, I only ask that you put an end to using Pookas when not properly trained." He said, his voice steady despite the fact he was dreading the conversation he would most likely be having with his father later on. The demon with the whip glanced up at him and nodded quickly.

"O-of course, whatever you say, y-your highness."

Adrien nodded and with a small wave of his hand, the demons who knelt before him got up and ran off, leaving the Pooka alone. He sighed in exasperation and glanced over at the girl who had spoken on his behalf, she had finally turned around so that he could see her features; almond shaped green eyes and a thin mouth, a bronzed complexion and brown bangs hanging just above her eyebrows. Her attire consisted mostly of black like most demons but what made her stand out from the rest was her orange-red jacket that ended just above her knees and was tightly-fitted around her waist. Her smile was somewhat tense and he could only imagine why, what she did was unconventional and most demons would've just stood by and watched as he was publicly humiliated but she stepped in and even more surprisingly, got a group of idiotic demons to apologize.

"Are you okay, your highness?" She suddenly asked and Adrien realized he hadn't said anything to her yet, just stared. He fidgeted with his cloak slightly and glanced back at the Pooka who seemed to be watching their little exchange.

"Yes, I'm fine," He answered and took hold of the reins holding the horse back and carefully and slowly raised a hand up to its muzzle, waiting as it slowly leaned forward into his hand and he couldn't help but smile. The Pooka had already gotten comfortable with him, making it the second Pooka he's tamed.

"Why did you protect that Pooka? If you don't mind me asking," The girl asked and he glanced over at her to see the curiosity etched in her features. He looked back at the horse and smiled lazily, running his gloved hand down the horse's neck.

"Because they did nothing wrong, they're very intelligent Celtic creatures and should be treated with respect, like all animals." He answered and the girl let out a small noise in pleasant surprise. Even the Pooka seemed to like his answer, it's bright blue eyes meeting his gaze. It would take some time, but soon enough the Pooka would start talking to him just like Plagg did. He wondered if this one had a name.

"I didn't expect the Demon Prince to speak so fondly about animals, most Demons have little to no respect for them at all." The girl said and he realized he still didn't know her name. He glanced over at her again, noticing how she had taken a step towards him, her eyes focused on the horse.

He paused for a moment, "Well... I'm not like most Demons," He answered and she met his gaze with a small smile, once again taking another step towards him. He released the reins of the Pooka and turned to face her, her eyes very quickly glancing up at the cat ears atop his head as if to prove that he most certainly was not like ordinary demons.

She smiled, "Me neither, your highness." He shook his head slightly and offered a handshake, much to her surprise.

"Please, call me Adrien."

She stared at his hand for a moment before accepting and returning the handshake, a broad smile on her face.

"I'm Lila, Lila Rossi. It's a pleasure to meet you, Adrien."


	5. Chapter 5: New Problems

Marinette wasn't a big fan of getting her feathers wet, she was pretty sure no one did, it just felt... wrong. Not to mention it stopped her from flying, or at the very least made it very difficult to do so. Washing feathers was a pain, she could only really get the ones that were near the edge and that was with great amounts of stretching her wings to get them in the right position. So when needed, Sabine would help her, which made Marinette's job much easier.

Marinette sat in her bath robe as Sabine brushed her damp hair and helped clean the feathers closer to her back, a comfortable silence between the two as her mother dragged a brush through her dark locks. Marinette's thoughts were clustered with memories of the night before, not only had she got in trouble for ruining her dress but it certainly didn't help that when she arrived home, she still had blood stains on her arms and legs. She had to explain to her worried parents that she was fine and that she had only fallen in the forest, and with how clumsy she is, her parents believed her.

But the one thing that kept picking at her mind was a specific demon. Did he count what happened the night before a kiss? No, of course not, he was saving her, it was completely unromantic. Then why did it feel so intimate to her? She already knew her feelings for him, she couldn't deny that she did, in fact, love him but every time she thought about him, she felt guilty, as if she doing something against the law. She technically was. She let out a large sigh at the thought, why did she have to fall for _him_?

"You okay dear?" Sabine asked from behind her as she continued to brush her hair, Marinette blinking in surprise when she remembered where she was. She looked over her shoulder at her mother and smiled nervously.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine!" She said, trying to sound convincing. She never was very good at that and her mother saw right through it.

"What's on your mind?" Sabine asked as she set down the brush on a nearby counter. Marinette sighed, trying to think of the best way to explain without actually having to explain.

She figured something vague would work, "Maman, do you think all demons are bad?" She asked and her mother went silent for a moment, glancing off to the side as if to think it through. Maybe her question was too specific, was her mother getting suspicious? Her life would be officially over if anyone other than Alya found out about Adrien.

"I think everyone has the potential to be bad, but that doesn't mean everyone is like that and we shouldn't judge an entire race based on stories and stereotypes. No one is born evil, you're raised into it, I just think Demons are raised poorly and they tend to see us the same way we see them. There is no right and wrong in this war, just hate.

"That being said, everyone has the potential to also be good. So to answer your question, no I do not think all Demons are bad, just as not all Angels are good. I hope one day, this war comes to an end, but the only way to do so without hurting each other; is to show love. Love is the only thing that conquers hate. It's like that saying, 'You can't fight fire with fire, you just get more fire.'"

Marinette didn't know how to reply, it certainly wasn't the answer she was expecting and yet, it made her feel much better. She couldn't help but smile and she turned to face her mother. "So you think there are good demons?"

Her mother nodded and she continued, hesitantly, "Let's say I met a nice demon, what would you think of that?" She asked, cautiously. Sabine hummed in thought and sat down on a nearby stool, Marinette once again feeling a pang of fear that perhaps she was over-sharing.

"Well, if the Demon made you happy, then I have no reason to be worried, right?" Her mother replied and Marinette grinned until Sabine added on, "But you have to know that in the Demon Kingdom, it's considered treason to befriend an Angel so you'd be risking their safety. You'd have to make a very important decision, either their friendship or their safety."

Marinette was stunned back into silence, her heart dropping into her stomach as she realized the danger she had been putting Adrien into all this time. She looked down to hide her expression from her mother, her hands clasping together tightly as she thought out what to do. She had to choose, keep Adrien in her life but risk having him killed for even knowing her or avoid him just to protect him but hurt herself in the process. There was no way to win this, it was a lose-lose situation. She didn't want to lose him but no matter what she chose, that's what would happen. Then it dawned on her that Pro Coronam was approaching fast, meaning it didn't matter what she chose, he was risking his life for the crown in two days anyway.

She took in a deep breath, forcing a smile as she glanced back up at her mother again who looked at her with concern. "Thank you Maman, I... I have to go," She said quietly, her voice brittle and on the edge of crying. She couldn't break down in front of Sabine, she'd figure out what was happening and even after everything she just said, she couldn't risk anyone finding out.

She got up, kissed her mother on the cheek and then left to go to her room, a small cosy pink area just for her, every wall pinned with an idea for an outfit. In one corner sat a mess of fabric and scraps that she still needed to clean from almost a week ago, lately she just didn't have the time. She slipped into a dress that was once again tied at the waist with a thick brown woven belt, the top half of the dress a light blue denim and the bottom half, layers of beige organdy. She liked this dress very much, she just hoped that today she wasn't attacked by hellhounds.

She left the house right after saying goodbye to her parents and glanced over at the clock tower, not realizing how fast time had gone by. She needed to be in the forest soon to meet up with Adrien but before she even stepped foot towards the border, Alya nearly tackled her from the side. The two girls stumbled and Marinette was lucky she didn't completely fall over, turning just in time to catch herself and regain balance. She turned her attention to the Angel and before she could scold her for tackling her, Alya grabbed her wrist and pulled her down the road for her to follow.

"Hey! What are you-?" Marinette started but was cut off when she saw the large crowd of angels ahead of them, all gathered for something clearly important.

"The King called everyone here and I don't wanna miss this, then as soon as this is done, you gotta tell me everything that happened yesterday between you and Adrien." She decided before Marinette could get a word in. The girl sighed and followed her friend to the group, spotting Nino in the crowd of people. He seemed to spot them as well and waved them over, a bright smile on his face. His sea foam wings contrasted greatly with his complexion and Marinette couldn't help but stare at them, which wasn't unusual for her. She loved seeing the different hues of wings each Angel got, Alya's were slightly beige and Marinette's were more peachy; a soft pink.

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she realized her friends were talking to her, blinking a few times to clear her thoughts and refocus. "Sorry, what was that?"

"I said, it's nice to see you again," Nino repeated for her, an understanding look on his face. Her friends were used to her clumsy antiques and her absent-mind, she was surprised they could even stand her.

"Oh, yes, right. Nice to see you too Nino," She replied, mentally face-palming. Quite the talker she was. If there was a competition for who could make a situation awkward the fastest, she was certain she would win every time. Nino just chuckled with an amused smile and glanced over at Alya again, Marinette almost forgetting that they were a couple. Man, she had been spending way too much time with Adrien, she forgot almost everything about her angel friends.

Before any of them could get another word out, a loud ring of a nearby trumpet caused everyone to go silent as the King stepped forward onto a podium that was elevated on the balcony that led to the castle gates. The villagers were all gathered in a circle area that had a flight of stairs on either side that led to said balcony, the stairs and everything about the castle was pearly white with golden accents on the railings and the Royal Crest which hung proudly above the gates and was the stamp of anything official. The King himself was a large man, not in height but rather in weight, his eyes aged and yet still twinkling a pleasant blue and his hair was already greying. Some Angels say it was because of what happened to the Queen, sick one day and gone the next. Now it was just the King and his daughter that was apparently Marinette's age.

"My fellow Angels, we've reached a new era of time where we must pass down the crown and let the next heir to the throne rule. My daughter is taking it upon herself as my only child to do so. This will be a new slate and hopefully an end to the terror we've gone through for centuries." The King spoke loudly for all to hear, capturing everyone's attention, except Marinette was more interested in the girl who stood off to the side, a look of sheer pride on her face. The look of her was enough to annoy Marinette for some odd reason.

The King continued, "Today marks the beginning of the Angel Kingdom's newest ruler, Queen Chloe Bourgeois." He announced and the villagers burst into applause as she stepped forward to speak, taking her father's place at the podium. A nearby Angel with a crown in his hands took his place beside Chloe and placed the crown delicately on her head, obviously somewhat of a royal advisor to the castle. As soon as he backed away, Chloe turned towards the crowd once again and with a set smile that put Marinette on edge.

"It's an honour to be your newest Queen, I hope to be as exceptional as my mother before me was. Now that I'm Queen of the Angel Kingdom, I'd like to make a few changes," She started and Marinette could feel the air around turn cold, everyone going silent as they waited in anticipation. She didn't have a good feeling about this.

"As you all know, we are currently on the bridge of war with our neighbouring Kingdom. Personally, I think it'd be best if we put an end to it right now but I certainly can't do it alone. Those revolting, power-hungry creatures known as Demons have been terrorizing us for far too long, do you think my ancestors or any of your ancestors would've wanted us to cower and succumb to their feeble attacks?" Chloe ranted and Marinette couldn't believe what was happening, she glanced around at the crowd around her as they nodded and muttered in agreement.

"Their reign of terror is over! It is time for us to take a stand and rise against them, we will no longer live in fear, but instead, fight back! The future of Angels is depending on us to keep our Kingdom alive and we cannot risk those Demons to take it from us! So, who will stand with me and declare war once and for all!" She challenged with a broad smile and the response was exactly what Chloe was hoping for, every angel -save for Marinette and Alya- was agreeing with her plan to take action. The crowd cheered and chanted as Marinette slipped away, her face contorted in fear and anxiety. She couldn't let this happen, she had to stop this before it was too late but against the village and the castle, she was useless.

Then realization struck and hit her like a tonne of bricks, her heart skipping with nerves in her chest. She had to tell Adrien.

She turned and ran for the border, blocking out the chanting behind her as the crowd grew and more Angels joined in, repeating the same three words, "Kill them all!" She thought she heard Alya calling out for her but she was too far now, she ignored it and kept running, her wings behind her expanding as she prepared to take off. Once she got closer to the edge of the Kingdom, she let her wings carry her the rest of the way, her feathers already rustled and puffed out just from the news of the newest ruler. What was Chloe thinking? Declaring war on the Demons as soon as she was crowned? What possessed her to do such a thing? Marinette was the only one who knew the truth, she was the only one who saw through Chloe's set smile and innocent blue eyes. She wasn't being a hero, she was as evil as the Demons that attacked Marinette all those months ago.

Marinette scanned the forest floor below her, checking to make sure no one else was there before gliding down to the circular opening that was right in the heart of the forest, located right in the middle. Marinette dusted off her dress and tucked in her wings, pausing when she heard the rhymic sound of hooves against the ground. She quickly ducked behind a tree, her heart galloping to the same noise that grew closer with each second. She tried to steady her breathing, hoping whoever else was in this forest with her couldn't hear her quick and short breaths. She peeked out from hiding just slightly to see movement drawing closer, merely a shadow in the dark forest. Her feathers trembled with the rest of her body, the fear that this was a Demon sent to kill any Angels who passed by sending her on edge.

She could barely move, she just listened as the galloping hooves got so loud she was certain at this point that whoever the rider was had finally reached the opening. The galloping got slower until it came to a complete stop and she glanced over to the small grassy field, nearly yelping when she spotted the dark cloaked figure riding an equally dark horse. She moved to the side slightly so she was out of sight, glad they had been facing the opposite way when she looked over. She took in a deep breath through the nose, trying to stay as quiet as possible.

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard an unfamiliar high-pitched voice, "Someone's here," The rider dismounted the horse and the next few moments felt like time had suddenly stopped. The forest was dead silent and all she could hear was her own heartbeat racing in her chest. She had only one thought in her mind, was this where she died? This wouldn't be the first time that thought had clogged her thoughts, she had the exact same thought the night before when she was surrounded by hellhounds, that was until Adrien showed up and saved her yet again. It was always this forest, why was it that something so beautiful was always the setting of her heart-stopping fears?

Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder and she snapped her gaze to a cloaked figure who stood beside her, feeling all the blood in her face drain. Instinctively, she let out a scream, only to be muffled by the figure's gloved hand. Their other hand quickly pulled down their hood to reveal themselves and Marinette fell silent, her eyes widening as she immediately realized who it was. How could she forget his strikingly vibrant green eyes? Or the halo of golden hair with two furry black cat ears protruding from his head? Of course it was Adrien, who else would be at this exact spot with her at the exact time they promised to meet again? Why did she even consider it to be someone else? She didn't realize she had begun to tear up until she saw Adrien's expression, his brows furrowed in concern and his eyes doleful, obviously wanting to comfort her but not even sure why she had started crying in the first place.

She wasn't even sure why she was suddenly weeping, all she knew was she felt overwhelmed, her heart heavy with emotions. Seeing him here made everything crash down on her, her mother's words from earlier, Chloe's sudden announcement and now the reminder that she had to let him go. Why couldn't they've met before all of this? She just wanted to go back to the way things were when they would rendezvous in the forest and just talk freely, laughing and smiling without a care. That's why she fell for him after all, it was those happy memories with him that made her heart-throb but now...

Adrien took a step back, letting his hands fall to his sides as he searched for the right words to say. Marinette looked down to hide her blubbering face from him, using the back of her hands to wipe her eyes. She forced a smile, as brittle and weak as it was, and looked back up at him.

"S-Sorry, I got a little emotional." She sniffed, trying to get a hold of herself. She had never cried in front of him before, she didn't want today to be that day. He gave her a sympathetic look and she glanced away again, wiping her teary eyes again.

"It's okay to cry, I'm just... confused. Did I-?" He started and Marinette shook her head, cutting him off before he could accuse himself. She let out a weak laugh and forced another smile, her feathers rustling behind her.

"No, no, it's not your fault. I've had a very... eventful morning."

"So have I..."

They both fell silent, not sure who should start first. She had to tell him about Chloe but this may or may not be the last time she saw him, she wanted to forget about everything happening around them and just focus on him. She decided to say something to try and lighten the mood, "What's with the cloak?"

He glanced up, blinking in surprise before turning his attention to said cloak, "Oh, well I snuck out of the castle today to walk around the village and had to cover up my wings so no one would recognize me. It didn't work out so well..." He answered with a small chuckle. She smiled slightly.

"Why not?"

"It's a long story,"

"I have time if you do,"

He glanced up at her and she only smiled, as if the events from a moment ago never happened. He couldn't help but smile back and Marinette swore she saw something more to it than just a friendly gesture but he was able to hide it well, it almost looked like... admiration? No, it was definitely just a smile.

"I got time,"

* * *

Adrien told Marinette everything that happened that morning, how he snuck into the village and protected a Pooka, then got attacked by a group of Demons which led to accidentally showing himself to everyone. He left out the part about meeting Lila, he figured it wasn't very important and he didn't want to give Marinette any ideas. After all, he did tell Plagg that he would finally confess his feelings to Marinette today, he didn't want her thinking he had fallen for someone else. They had sat down in their usual spot, sitting in the grass and letting the sun be their warm blanket.

"It was really nice of you to protect that Pooka, even if it meant letting those Demons hurt you." Marinette complimented and Adrien glanced off to the side, feeling his cheeks heat up. He shifted slightly, letting his wings stretch behind him now that he had taken off the cloak. It laid off to the side, soaking up the sun. Adrien didn't like wearing all black constantly, it was always way too hot to wear outside but today the winds picked up the chilly air from the coast, rustling the leaves of the trees and the feathers of all who lived here. He had lost a few more of his feathers, which led him to believe he was moulting. It made sense with his birthday coming up but it was always so annoying to lose feathers only for new ones to grow in. He wondered what shade of black they would be this time.

He nearly rolled his eyes at the sarcasm in his thoughts but stopped himself before he could do so. He cleared his throat and changed the subject, "The Pooka is named Tikki by the way, she's the horse I rode here actually." He explained and pointed over at the black horse who was feasting on the grass, her blue eyes glancing over at the pair knowingly.

"Oh, is she the one who spoke when you arrived? I thought I heard a voice," Marinette pointed out and Adrien nodded, a small proud smile on his face. He glanced back at the Angel and thought for a moment before suddenly grabbing her hand and pulling her up, bringing her over to the Pooka.

"Wait, what are you-?" She started but before she could finish, she was standing in front of the Pooka, staring back at its blue eyes. Adrien stayed beside her, knowing all too well what might happen if the Pooka didn't warm up to Marinette right away. He didn't want to put her through that so he kept his hold on her hand.

"Just relax, Pooka's are very intelligent creatures, they can tell if someone is a good person or not. You'll be fine," Adrien assured and she glanced over at him with a smile, the type of smile that made his heart skip a beat. Adrien returned his gaze to the horse and watched as Tikki stared curiously at the Angel, keeping a safe distance between the two.

"What do I do?" Marinette asked and Adrien took a step towards Tikki, lifting his free hand so that it rested gently on her muzzle. He glanced back at the Angel with a smile and beckoned her to come closer, she did so hesitantly, slowly raising a hand out towards the Pooka who surprisingly didn't draw back at the sudden close vicinity. Adrien felt like he had stopped breathing, telling himself that nothing would happen to her and that he had nothing to worry about but with Pooka's, they were so unpredictable, he had no idea what would happen.

Then Marinette's hand touched the horse's muzzle and there was a moment where nothing happened and Adrien swore he didn't breathe a single time during the silence until Tikki took a step forward and leaned into Marinette's hand. Adrien smiled, mostly relieved but also proud that he had been of some help in all of this. He got her to do it, that was awarding enough.

"You did it," He beamed, finally able to breathe again.

"I did it?"

He chuckled and let go of her hand, noticing how she glanced over at him as he did so, looking almost disappointed. Then she slowly brought her other hand up to caress the Pooka's mane, earning an approving whine from the animal. She smiled brightly and Adrien found himself staring, taking in every detail of her as if it was the last time he could. Perhaps it was. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, not sure why he was purposely looking for a way to make himself upset about all of this. He just needed to calm down and appreciate her company without having to think about any Demon Kingdoms or what was in store for him when he returned.

"Tikki seems to like you, I think you should take her with you," He said and Marinette glanced over at him with wide eyes, looking at him as if he had just said the most absurd thing she's ever heard.

She shook her head, "N-No, I couldn't possibly-"

"Please? She deserves a better home than mine and besides, I already have Plagg. Consider it a gift."

'More like a parting gift,' He thought and nearly smacked his own head.

Marinette's lips tugged into a grateful smile, one that Adrien was sure could melt steel. She shared a glance with Tikki and eventually gave in, sighing as she did so. "Alright, I'll take her home. But what am I suppose to tell my parents?" She asked and Adrien gestured to the forest around them.

"Tell them you found her in the forest, you technically aren't lying. Just don't mention the fact that a Demon gave her to you," He said with a smile and Marinette hummed in delight, her gaze slowly shifting to the ground. After a moment, the smile on her face disappeared and was replaced by a hardened look, sadness clouding her features as her wings drooped. He could tell that she had something troubling on her mind and he knew this wouldn't end well. He felt his feathers tremble and he was sure he had just lost a few more of them in the process.

"Adrien, I have to tell you something," She started and Adrien swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to mask his anxiety. He supposed he had lost his chance to confess to her, so he crossed his arms and waited for her to continue, inwardly cursing himself for not saying something earlier.

Marinette hesitated and let out a sigh, "The Angel Kingdom has a new ruler, a girl around my age. She... She's decided to declare war on your Kingdom," The words came out quietly and yet Adrien could still hear it clear as day. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped as the colour drained from his face, panic etched in his features. Marinette refused to meet his gaze, but he knew she felt the same way. This ruined everything, his chances of surviving the Pro Coronam were now nothing compared to his chances of becoming King for longer than a day. If he did win, which he was almost certain he wouldn't, he would then be faced with the impossible task of leading not only a Kingdom but an entire Demon army to battle. All of those casualties would be on his conscious, the blood would be on his hands, for the rest of his sad lonely life.

"Is she insane?" He asked before he could filter his thoughts into words, everything just spilt out. His wings snapped open threateningly without his consent, "She just became Queen and this is what she does? And without proper reason!"

Marinette finally met his gaze, taken aback that he had suddenly raised his voice if only just slightly. He didn't usually break his calm composure around her but lately, he was too stressed to give a damn but anything anymore. Still, the look of distress and concern from the Angel was enough to knock a bit of sense into him.

"She's starting a war for the sake of starting a war, she grew up being taught that Demons were merciless monsters so, in her mind, she has a very good reason." Marinette retorted, showing a bit of that sassy side that Adrien had the honours to witness on special occasions such as today. It was certainly one way to shut him up.

"So, what do we do?" He asked, hoping she had come up with some brilliant plan. She paused, almost grimacing at whatever thought had come to mind and eventually sighed in defeat.

"I can't do much but you possibly can, you just need to warn your people."

"They won't listen and besides, Pro Coronam is my father's main priority right now."

She paused as if picking her next few words carefully before speaking, "You never really did explain what that was to me, last night was kinda... hectic."

Adrien went quiet for a moment, his brows knitting together as he thought of the best way to explain something so terrible. How do you explain something that was designed by savages?

"It's..." He began slowly, "a battle between four Demons, there's no time limit and no rules, just kill everyone and be the last one standing. If you survive, you become the next ruler. I don't think there's ever been a Demon Queen, then again I don't think any females have tried in Pro Coronam."

He shook his head slightly before continuing, "It's unfair and cruel and I want no part in any of it but... my father couldn't care less about what I want."

He examined Marinette's expression as she had yet to reply, her eyes shifting downcast as she seemed to think something through. He could practically see the cogs turning in her head. Before he could ask, she met his gaze with a firm, determined stare.

"You can't compete in that, we have to find another way to get you out of this." She decided, her wings tense behind her. Adrien raised a questioning brow, ruffling his feathers as he took a step towards her. Tikki had long since moved out of the way of the two, watching from the other side of the clearing.

"Like what?"

"Like..." She hesitated and he noticed how she shifted her weight on her bare feet, "Running away?" The words came out like a small squeak but he was positive he heard what she said. His wings practically fell limp.

"Run away? T-Together?" He resented the fact that he just stuttered but he was too overwhelmed with other emotions to care. Marinette nodded and he felt like his heart was going to burst. The girl he just recently found out he had undeniable feelings for wanted to run away with him, he was pretty sure that was almost the same thing as eloping in the woods.

He couldn't stop the dumb grin that spread across his face, his reaction obviously catching Marinette by surprise. Before she could ask, he took hold of her hands and took a step towards her, deciding against just hugging her right there. He wanted to, she just single-handedly got rid of all of his problems.

"Let's do it, let's run away. There's nothing here for me anyway," He finally answered, Marinette's look of shock melting into a smile.

"Really? Then we'll leave tomorrow, early so we can get out before your father finds out. We can cross the lake and find other mainlands, I'm sure anywhere is better than here." She giggled and Adrien felt the pleasant warmth in his chest grow. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but that was before he realized it may ruin everything. If she rejected him, this whole plan may be called off and he would be forced into the Pro Coronam tournament. The thought made his blood run cold, but he faked a smile and didn't show his raising anxiety.

Marinette's smile suddenly faded and he wondered if he had looked too evidently troubled but when her gaze fell to the floor and her grip on his hands loosened, he became concerned.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

She was silent for a moment before sighing, her gaze glued to the forest floor. "It's... It's nothing," She murmured. He wasn't falling for it.

"Is this about running away? You- Oh." He started but then it clicked, he could easily run away from his Kingdom. He had nothing to lose but Marinette... She had a family and her friend Alya, he was sure that when it came to losing something in all of this, she had everything. He didn't want to be the reason for her to never see her parents again. He gave her hands a small squeeze and she glanced up at him, her eyes glassy.

"Mari... You don't have to come with me if you don't want to leave your parents. I understand and I shouldn't have forced you into this, in fact, I shouldn't have involved you at all." He said and was taken aback by the look of hurt that crossed her face.

"N-No, I want to be w- I mean, go with you. You're my friend Adrien, probably one of my closest friends. You mean a lot to me and I don't want you to go through this alone, so I'm coming with you." She stated, her expression changing to one full of determination with a tinge of blush across her cheeks. The corners of his mouth turned up, his smile soft and appreciative. Without much thought, he brought the angel closer, clinging to her tightly in a warm embrace. She didn't hesitate to hug him back, her hands resting on his back just below his tucked in wings. He felt her own wings flutter as a content sigh escaped her, her head resting against his shoulder.

He wanted to stay like that forever and forget everything about his father, Pro Coronam and the Angel Queen, he just wanted to be with Marinette and never leave her side. He reminded himself that if all goes well, he'd be leaving the next day with her, only a day before his birthday. He took in a deep breath, breathing in the aroma of the forest and a delightful scent he had only ever smelt on Marinette, it was sweet and he was pretty sure it was the smell of something called bread, according to the angel. Either way, it was her scent and he loved it.

It felt like hours before they finally pulled away, Marinette's gaze was glued to the ground to hide her evident blush that crept up her cheeks and Adrien couldn't seem to wipe the smile off his face. Perhaps after everything that happened today, his luck would finally change. After all, he was going to be running away with an angel he had fallen for, leaving all the pain and suffering of his past behind him. Now he just had to wait for morning, as long as nothing happened.

But his bad luck tends to creep up on him in the best and worse of times.

* * *

Adrien wanted to go straight to his room and just sleep the rest of the day away but instead of walking in to find Plagg, he found two unpleasant looking guards waiting for him. His heart dropped, this must've been because of what happened earlier in the village, it had to be. He was prepared to be scolded to about ruining his reputation and acting more civilized, after all, he was the Prince, he shouldn't have been even talking to such commoners. At least, that's what his father would say. Adrien didn't mind speaking to villagers, he even made a new friend due to this. Lila Rossi, a strange and different demon. She didn't strike him as merciless and brutal, she was just... friendly.

"What are you two doing in here?" He asked, dealing with the problem at hand with as much patience as he could possibly muster. The guards wore a metal helmet that covered most of their faces, giving Adrien an uneasy feeling in his stomach. He always hated that he couldn't see their eyes, Marinette had taught him months ago that you could tell a person's emotions with just their eyes; something about eyes being the window to the soul.

"The King has ordered your presence immediately," One of them spoke up, his voice sounding vaguely familiar from earlier when Adrien was sneaking around the castle. Then he remembered that this was the demon that was trash talking him about being too weak to win Pro Coronam. Adrien couldn't help but scowl. The guard moved forward to grab him but stopped when the door to the room reopened, Adrien turning to face his father. He felt his breath catch in his throat.

"F-Father, what's all this about?" He asked, his voice wavering slightly much to his disapproval. Gabriel didn't answer at first, instead made his way across the room, taking in the sight of it. That's when Adrien noticed Plagg curled up in the corner, his fur standing up on end and his green eyes staring daggers at the intruders. Gabriel seemed to notice him as well, but paid him no attention and walked over to the balcony, his hands behind his back and his wings dragging against the floor. Adrien felt his own rustle in apprehension. He had a very bad feeling about this.

"This isn't about what happened in the village today, is it?" Adrien guessed, his eyes meeting his father's for a moment before the man turned his attention back to the window of the balcony, seemingly looking at the Angel Kingdom across the forest.

"No, it is not. It has been brought to my attention that you are not fully capable of fighting in the tournament tomorrow,"

"Tomorrow? You said it was-" Adrien blurted but Gabriel cut him off, raising a hand to do so.

"Things changed. Such as the status of the war between Kingdoms. Have you heard?" Gabriel asked, turning to face his son. Adrien didn't answer, not willing to risk telling him the truth about Marinette. Gabriel frowned, "I see... So you do know. The Angels want to declare war and of course, with the crown being passed down soon, we need a strong leader. I would do it myself but I know you're more than capable of doing it."

"But you just said that I'm not capable of fighting tomorrow?" Adrien pointed out and Gabriel nodded in acknowledgement.

"Yes, I'm aware. There's no chance of you winning tomorrow, not without some help, which I will be giving."

"How?" Adrien asked, and yet he didn't want to know. His father's words made his blood run cold and his wings tense.

"By altering you,"

Adrien stared at him as if he had just said the most absurd thing in the world, "What?" He squeaked out.

"I'm going to turn you into the Demon warrior we all need, so there's no doubt you'll win tomorrow. The process will be unpleasant but desperate times call for desperate measures," Gabriel explained and Adrien didn't have time to react before the guards took hold of his arms on either side, tying down his wings so he couldn't break free. He tried to pull his arms out of their grip but it was useless, he couldn't escape their hold on him. He felt like a trapped bird, about to be taken to its inescapable prison.

"Father, no, please don't do this!" He cried out, his voice soaked in desperation. He saw Plagg hesitate to move, and the blond simply glanced over at the cat and shook his head. He didn't want Plagg to get hurt, so it was better if he just stayed out of it.

"You'll thank me one day for this Adrien. You're too genial and that's what makes you weak, you hold no authority. Just like your mother," Gabriel spat the last few words as if it was poison to him. Adrien glared at him, his jaw tightening in aggravation. Even though Adrien had never met his mother, Nathalie had once told him that he was exactly like her and that wasn't a bad thing, she was the kindest person Nathalie had ever met. For his father to insult both Adrien and his mother, it sparked a flame of rage inside him.

"It is the old dragon from the abyss of hell who is standing before me. You're a coward and I'm ashamed to call you my father," Adrien sneered, not at all fazed by the glare his father shot him, he had expected it. What he didn't expect, was a sudden sharp pain on the side of his neck, his head craning over to see a syringe in one of the guard's hand. Whatever was in the syringe immediately took effect and his vision began to blur, his mind clouding over as he struggled to stay awake.

The last thing he saw was a smirk on his father's face as he was dragged away.

* * *

 **A/N:** **.ca/url?sa=i &rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjf8on7_uvVAhVq5IMKHdQuBdsQjRwIBw&url=https%3A%2F% .com%2Fexplore%2Fcute-outfits-for-teens%2F&psig=AFQjCNEBviy_k51k2ySsJX779F4BxAE1Sg&ust=1503530755058930**

 **^^the link to the reference I got for Marinette's outfit.**

 **Also if you're wondering why this is all moving so quickly, it's suppose to. This story was originally suppose to be just the first chapter, just a small drabble but eventually decided to make it a short story. If you guys want more when this story is done (it's not yet don't worry) let me know!**


	6. Chapter 6: Akuma

He woke up to a cold floor, his wrists, ankles and wings tied together and his head heavy with a migraine. He groaned as he attempted to sit up and take in his surroundings. It was a large room, dark and dusty, with shelves against the walls. It was a cellar, which meant he was in the basement.

He glanced behind him at the stairs that led to the entrance, surprised to find there wasn't a guard watching over it. He hesitated, considering trying to crawl his way out. It was better than whatever awaited him, his father's words echoing in his cloudy mind.

' _By altering you_ ,'

What did that even mean? What was there to alter? His kindness? He knew his father was a sadistic ass but this was taking it a little too far. What kind of parent ties their child up and leaves him in a cold, damp cellar? Satan apparently.

Adrien let out a huff of frustration as he got up on his knees and began to slowly crawl forward, not getting very far before he heard the door to the exit open. He cursed under his breath, " _Merde_ ," and gave up, sitting up on his knees. Who descended the stairs wasn't who he was expecting, but didn't give him any hope either way. Nathalie met his gaze for a moment and he could've sworn she looked... doleful. As if she hated to see him like this. He stared at her, unconvinced; there was no way she felt any sort of remorse for him. She worked for Gabriel, she practically had to be heartless.

"You don't deserve any of this," Nathalie muttered as she made her way over to a metal file cabinet and searched for something.

Adrien blinked in surprise, "Huh?" He wasn't sure he heard her correctly. Nathalie glanced over at him sorrowfully, catching Adrien off guard once again.

"You look just like her, did you know that?" Nathalie said, suddenly changing the topic. Adrien tilted his head slightly in confusion. He had no idea who she was talking about until it suddenly dawned on him.

"Oh. You mean my mother?" He asked and Nathalie nodded, closing a drawer and going onto the next to continue her search.

"She was very beautiful, blonde hair and green eyes just like you. She treated everyone with kindness, even those who didn't deserve it. Like your father." She explained and pulled out a large dusty book from the drawer, then placed it down on top of the cabinet to gather more items.

When Adrien didn't answer, she continued, "Your father never spoke of her because he didn't want his reputation ruined, since she was, well, an Angel."

Adrien's eyes widened, speechless for a moment before he was finally able to force out a word from his suddenly dry mouth. "She was an Angel? B-But that means..."

Nathalie nodded, "You're half-Angel, Adrien."

He felt like he couldn't breathe, all of this was such nonsense and yet it made complete sense. That's why he was always different from other Demons, why he could tame Pookas and even why his feathers were more elegant than most. He forced himself to breathe in, feeling as if his heart was about to stop at any minute.

"W-What happened to her? Why did she leave?" He asked, his voice wavering as he took in all this information, still finding it hard to believe.

"She had to leave because your father took the crown and being part of his life was against the law, so she disappeared without a trace. She wanted to bring you with her, but your father convinced her otherwise. He just wanted a Demon son," She explained and Adrien's breath hitched, his eyes beginning to sting with the threat of tears. His mother wanted to bring him with her, he could've escaped all of this pain if he had just been born with white wings.

Nathalie fell silent for a moment, staring at him dolefully. He refused to look up at her, instead he kept his gaze on the ground. He squeezed his eyes shut, clasping his hands together as a tight pain in his chest made its way up to his throat. He felt like his emotions were bubbling up inside him, ready to pop at any minute.

"She loved you Adrien, she loved you very much. She called you her 'Petit Chaton'... You were her pride and joy," Nathalie said and it was enough to send Adrien's emotions over the edge. He gasped and hugged himself as best he could, his cat ears drawn back as he leaned forward to hide the tears that escaped his closed eyes. His chest ached with overwhelming sorrow, the longing to be with his mother and be with someone who truly loved him too much to bear.

He let out another gasping breath for air, followed by a sorrowful sob. No matter how hard he tried to hold it all in, the reality of it all was if things had been a bit different on his part, everything would've changed for the better. In a way, this was almost his fault.

He tightened his grip on his sleeves, clenching his jaw as he held back another sob that he felt rise to the back of his throat. All of his whimpering had given Nathalie enough time to grab what she needed from the cabinet and set it down on the table behind him. After a few more minutes of his sounds of despair, Gabriel finally arrived, making his way around Adrien to stand beside the table. Adrien knew he was there, but refused to look up at him with his face stained with tears. He knew what his father would say, that he needed to toughen up and act more like a Demon and less like a child. It was so typical that at this point, it didn't even offend him.

"I see you did what I asked of you, thank you Nathalie." Gabriel said, not paying his son much attention. Adrien glanced over his shoulder at the Demons, realizing they were talking about him. What could he have possibly asked of her to do?

Nathalie bowed slightly, "Of course, your majesty. He was... quite easy to weaken."

Adrien furrowed his brows in confusion, turning his body around to face the two, still not able to stand up. "Everything you said... was a lie?" He asked, his voice sounding more broken than he'd would've liked.

Nathalie shook her head, "No, it was all the truth. Your mother truly did love you and... I am sorry, Adrien." She replied, her eyes once again looking doleful. He didn't know what to believe anymore. All Demons were fake and their words were lies, he couldn't trust any of them now. He just wanted his mother back and...

And Marinette.

The thought of her made his heart race and not exactly in a good way. She would be expecting to meet up with him tomorrow but with how things were looking for him, he wasn't sure that was going to be a possibility. His chest once again ached with sorrow, knowing that she'd be there waiting for him tomorrow in the forest, and he wouldn't show up because god knows what's about to happen to him would ruin everything.

He hung his head, using his hands to wipe away any stray tears, promising to himself at that moment that no matter what happened to him tonight, he would never forget Marinette and he would fight for her. No matter what.

"What are you planning to do to me?" Adrien asked, his voice firm again. Gabriel reached over to the large book sitting on the table and opened it up to a random page, skipping back a few to find the one he wanted.

"A while ago I found a spell that exorcises Angels. Now of course, this would only work if an Angel was using another creatures body as a vessel but I found that you may be an exception being half and half." Gabriel explained nonchalantly and Adrien's eyes widened, his wings shuddering in their tight hold.

"You're gonna use an exorcism? B-But that could kill me!" He tried to reason but his father only sighed.

"Oh Adrien, you're beginning to sound like a broken record. Pro Coronam will kill you if this doesn't and besides, I'm only trying to help you. By the end of the night you'll be completely Demon if all goes well,"

"You're insane, what kind of parent does this to their own child!?" Adrien shouted, infuriated. Gabriel didn't reply, he simply set the opened book back down on the table and let Nathalie do all the work. She left the cellar for a moment before returning with two guards, the same from before. They grabbed Adrien by the arms and dragged him over to a symbol carved into the floor. The symbol was a large circle and in the circumference was a diamond that seemed to almost have small wings sprouting from each side of the shape. The guards stood off to the side as Gabriel began to mutter incoherent words under his breath.

At first nothing happened, but Adrien knew something was wrong when he felt his ring heat up with power, usually a sign that danger was nearby. Suddenly he felt a pain in his chest that started off just as an uncomfortable ache but soon grew into something so excruciating, he thought he was about to die. He fell to the floor, trembling and tensing every muscle in his body until he could barely move, strangled cries of pain and whimpers escaping him as time went on, his eyes filling with tears of agony.

He felt as if something inside of him was fighting to stay, ripping and clawing at him desperately. His wings tensed and struggled in their bonds, stretching as far as they could before the bindings finally snapped and his feathered limbs arched up, each individual feather shaking as many completely broke off and drifted to the floor below, moulting even faster.

He let out a loud anguished scream as the pain traveled up to his head, pounding on every side of his skull until he couldn't bear it any longer. This was torture, death was probably sweeter than this. It went on for what seemed like ages, his hands grabbing at his head as if that would stop the pain.

Something in his mind snapped at that very moment. He could no longer feel pain, though he could hear himself still screaming in agony. He couldn't move. In fact, he couldn't control himself at all, it was moving on its own accord now. It was almost as if he was having an out of body experience. Was he dying? Is this what dying felt like? No, he couldn't be, his heart was still beating.

Then everything went white.

 **o0o0o0o0o**

 _When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in the middle of the forest. Except something seemed to be surrounding him, like a dome of dark energy. He stepped forward and reluctantly reached out to touch it, immediately drawing his hand back when the force field rippled, the dark matter mixing with tints of blue and purple. It would've been beautiful if it wasn't caging him._

 _His attention snapped up when he heard a twig snap and he just now realized a dark figure getting closer to him. He stepped back, but kept his eyes on the figure until it stepped out of the shadows of the forest and into the light. His eyes widened._

 _It was himself but different, dark wings rustled and unkempt, his cat ears a bit larger and his eyes an icy blue. Cold and cat-like, standing out against the black that encircled his eyes like a mask._

 _Confused, Adrien looked down at himself only to see white garments. He glanced back at his own wings only to confirm his suspicions. They were pearly white. When he reached up to touch his hair, his fingers brushed against his cat ears, almost relieved he still had those extra parts._

 _"It really is upsetting to see you like this, Adrien." He heard himself say, well, the Demon side of him. He glanced up to meet his icy gaze._

 _"I... I don't understand, what's happening?" He asked, scanning the dome that confined him. His demon self moved a bit closer, reaching out a gloved clawed hand to tap the force field which once again rippled at contact._

 _"You've been shut out, you're no longer in control. I am."_

 _Adrien stared at his demon self, who smirked uncharacteristically. Something about this mirror image put him on edge, it wasn't really him. Not truly._

 _"Who are you?" Adrien asked, tilting his head slightly. His demon self mirrored his actions, an innocent smile crossing his face._

 _"I'm you, of course. I'm the Demon side of you, but you've already figured that out. So what are you really asking?"_

 _Adrien paused, not sure how to answer when he didn't know what else to say. "What happened to me?" He asked, plucking the question out of thin air._

 _The demon smirked and began to slowly circle the dome, Adrien's gaze glued to his mirrored self. "The exorcism tore us apart, we were once one, Demon and Angel coexisting but father split us up. He locked you up in that prison and let me take the reigns, leaving me in control. Is that the answer you wanted?"_

 _"How do I get out?" Adrien asked and the demon snickered._

 _"Do you really think I'd tell you that? For the past 18 years you've been in control, but now it's my turn. I'll make father proud and become the King he wants us to be,"_

 _"What about Marinette?"_

 _The demon paused, stopping in his tracks at the mention of her name. In the distance, the sound of birds chirping was heard, making it feel like he was truly in the forest. But he knew now that this was just his mind, the forest was his happy-place. But somehow, Marinette was nowhere to be seen._

 _"What about her?" The demon asked nonchalantly and Adrien crossed his arms, furrowing his eyebrows and tucking in his white wings._

 _"If you're a part of me, then you must love her as I do."_

 _"Love is weakness, Adrien. The sooner you get that through your perfect head of yours, the sooner father will learn to accept you. Marinette is going to be erased from the picture. After all, we don't want to follow in father's footsteps now, don't we?" He replied, subtly bringing up his mother. Adrien clenched his fist, stepping closer to the Demon only to be held back by the field._

 _"You're making a mistake. This isn't who we are!"_

 _The demon clenched his jaw and flared his black wings behind him, his pale blue eyes shooting daggers at his mirrored self. "No, that was who you were! I've never had a say in how we act—"_

 _"Oh please, you're a tantrum with wings."_

 _"I'm the side of you who acts! You're a coward who runs away and falls in love with an Angel," The demon sneered, letting his wings tuck back in as he gave one last glare to his counterpart and turned to walk away._

 _"You're going to get us killed," Adrien called out as he watched his Demon self return to the shadows._

 _"At least I'll go out fighting,"_

 **o0o0o0o0o0o**

He couldn't remember what happened after that flash of white, it felt like centuries had gone by when really, it was only mere seconds. He was on the ground, the pain finally stopped and he had gone silent, his heartbeat back to a steady pace. It was almost like he had waken up from a terrible dream, a nightmare. But when he opened his eyes, he was in the cellar and he could hear the chattering of his father and Nathalie behind him.

"Did it work?" Nathalie had asked, his father hummed gruffly in thought.

"I'm not sure... Guards, examine him." He ordered and he heard the sound of metal shifting before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He moved without thinking and grabbed the guard's arm, pulling him forward and sending him flying into the shelves ahead. His wings snapped open, knocking down the next Demon and Adrien quickly got to his feet without much effort at all.

He snapped and summoned a ball of green flames into his hand, firing one straight into the guard's metal chest plate and knocking him over before he even had the chance to get up. Adrien grabbed the Demon by the throat and lifted him up off his feet, the guard letting out a strangled gasp.

Adrien felt no remorse or pity for this Demon. He only felt a sense of rage that burned through any other emotion he might've had before. He had changed and yet he didn't feel any different.

"Woah, woah, Adrien! Put him down," Nathalie instructed, her voice firm. Adrien glanced over at her bitterly, not moving for a moment before finally giving in and dropping the Demon who immediately gasped for air.

Gabriel looked pleased, "Do you have any objections on joining Pro Coronam tomorrow?" He asked suddenly and Adrien stared at him for a moment before a smirk tugged at his lips.

"Not at all, it'll be my pleasure."

 **o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Marinette sat on a bench with Tikki-who had taken the form of a small blue eyed black puppy with many tiny white spots -on her lap. The Angel subconsciously scratched behind the Pooka's ears who hummed graciously, leaning into her hand.

They sat in silence as Marinette watched the stars twinkle in the darkened sky, reminded as the moon slipped out from behind a cloud that tomorrow would arrive shortly. She sighed in content, Tikki glancing up at her with a knowing look on her face.

"Thinking of Adrien again?" The Pooka asked and Marinette nodded slowly with a small smile on her face. Tikki giggled, "Am I coming tomorrow?"

Marinette nearly gasped, "Of course!" She exclaimed with a grin, running a gentle hand down Tikki's back. "I could never leave you here; you'll always be with me, okay?"

Tikki nodded then nuzzled into Marinette's hand, resting against her paws as she closed her eyes. The Angel smiled, quietly resuming to pet the Pooka.

She listened to the chirp of crickets from the nearby forest, wondering what else was awake tonight. She didn't dare wander in after what happened the night before, being attacked by hellhounds was the scariest thing that had ever happened to her. Scarier than being attacked by Demons, they at least had a ounce of common sense.

Something about that didn't add up, hellhounds were known to be the guardians of Demons, so what were they doing in the forest the night before? And they didn't attack Adrien, then again he did manage to scare them off. Still, it felt almost... staged. As if someone knew she was going to be there.

She shook her head at the ridiculous thoughts; it couldn't be staged. What were the chances of that?

She let out a sigh as she carefully picked up Tikki in her arms and brought her inside, making sure to be quiet to not wake her parents. Once she was in her room, she placed the small Pooka on a large cushion in the corner of the room and got changed into her nightgown, which had an open back to let her wings spread. She climbed up onto the soft hammock that was used as a bed and let her wings wrap around herself like a blanket.

She tried to clear her mind and just close her eyes but she was too jittery, perhaps from all the excitement for tomorrow. She wasn't aware of it yet, but in the back of her mind she could tell that something was wrong, but wasn't sure what. Noticing her jitteriness, Tikki crawled into the hammock with her, still in her dog form and let the Angel hug her until she fell asleep.

The next day came by in a flash and despite usually hating to get up early, Marinette was up and awake before even her parents. She quickly got dressed into a pair of jeans and pink t-shirt, making sure to grab a black jacket and the two bags full of orbs and the vials from Master Fu before leaving the room with Tikki following by her heels.

She made her way out of the bakery and paused to look back at her home, feeling the pit in her stomach grow at the thought of leaving. She had to do this but it came with a price. She clenched her fists and took in a deep wavering breath, forcing herself not to cry. Then she turned and ran.

Once they got to the border of the Kingdom, Tikki changed into a horse and Marinette mounted her, surprisingly more graceful than she expected. The two rode off into the forest just as the sun finally brightened the sky to a beautiful blue. Though it wouldn't last Marinette noted as they made their way through the forest, for a storm was approaching fast.

It was unfortunate and Marinette couldn't help but blame her bad luck.

When she reached the meeting spot, she dismounted her Pooka and took a seat on the boulder to wait. For the first five minute she was patient, but once nearly twenty minutes passed by, Marinette became antsy and unbearably worried.

"Do you think something happened?" Marinette asked Tikki who scanned the area once again.

"I'm... not sure. Something definitely doesn't feel right,"

Marinette's attention was drawn back to the trees ahead of her as a bush rustled and a flock of birds flew off in a hurry. Marinette got to her feet quickly, her heart skipping a beat with nerves. Tikki was by her side in seconds, morphing into a large black wolf for protection. Moments passed when nothing happened, everything was silent. The branches and leaves rustled as a gust of cold air blew by and shook her feathers, causing her to shiver and put on the black jacket she had brought along. She watched as Tikki's ears flicked, listening intently for an intruder, then she growled.

Suddenly, from the depths of the forest, a large black panther emerged and was immediately greeted by a barking wolf, Tikki ready to attack if necessary. But then the panther spoke and Marinette froze.

"Wait! I-I'm Plagg, Adrien's Pooka!"

Marinette rushed over to the two animals, placing a reassuring hand on Tikki who had finally stopped growling. Plagg looked relieved, panting as he leaned against a nearby tree.

"Plagg? But... where's Adrien?" Marinette asked, feeling suddenly sick to her stomach with worry. Plagg's look of dismay didn't help.

"He's in trouble—he came home last night and his father was waiting for him—I wanted to help but Adrien told me not to and then— they dragged him away a-and something happened to him—" He panted out and Marinette could tell that he was freaking out just as much as she was. She rushed over to him and knelt down, placing a gentle hand on his head to try and calm him down.

" _Breathe_ Plagg," She instructed and he did so, finally shutting his muzzle. "Now tell me what happened, where is Adrien now?"

"I-I don't know, after they dragged him away I went to the cellar where they were holding him. There were too many guards so I couldn't get through to help him but I heard him scream... it was awful, they were hurting him." Plagg explained, shaking his head slightly as he recalled the memory. Marinette's blue eyes were blown wide, her heart racing in her chest as she took in what he had just said.

Was he... _dead_?

She began to panic and she stood up, running her hands through her hair as her breathing became quick and short. Tikki was sure she was about to hyperventilate.

"Marinette, you need to take your own advice and breathe!" Tikki said and the Angel took a seat on the boulder once again, hiding her face in her hands as she felt her eyes sting with tears.

When she felt a hand on her shoulder, she glanced up quickly to meet Tikki's blue eyed gaze. But... she was in the form of an Angel. Short red hair with a single black patch as her bangs, it was uncanny how much she looked exactly like a ladybug. Marinette was stunned into silence.

"Marinette," Tikki said, "Adrien needs your help."

Marinette's breath hitched at the mention of his name again and she felt her eyes gloss over.

" _How_? What if he's... he's..." She couldn't finish her sentence, it was too painful to even think about.

"He's not dead, I'm sure of it. Whatever happened to him last night didn't kill him," Plagg cut in, suddenly by Tikki's side. He too, was in his Demon form and it pained Marinette to see how closely he resembled Adrien. She took in a deep breath, a single tear sliding down her cheek before she could stop herself.

"He needs your help Marinette," Tikki repeated and the Angel merely shook her head.

"I _can't_ ," The words came out in a brittle whisper, her voice quivering as her shoulders trembled. The thought of something happening to Adrien was painful enough, but the fact that it already happened, _destroyed_ her.

The Pooka's fell silent for a moment, before Plagg finally spoke up, taking a seat beside Marinette as he did so.

"Y'know, I trained Adrien a few times. He was never really good, I'll be honest, and maybe it's because he was afraid to hurt me but either way he was never the type of person who fought. But he was strong and whenever he got knocked down, he would always get back up." He explained and Marinette looked over at him as he spoke, her bottom lip quivering as a few more tears spilled.

He continued, "This is just another blow, he'll get up. He always does. But he needs you to tag in and help him, this isn't a battle he can win alone. You two are a team now, and he needs his partner. So don't give up on him that easily,"

Marinette stared at him, stunned, his words alone were enough to get her to stop crying. He was right, she needed to help him, he needed her and she was not going to just let him go like this. She took in a deep breath and nodded as she made up her mind.

"I'll do it, I'll go save him. But... I'm gonna need your guy's help." She said, glancing between the two as they smiled.

"He saved us, so we'll repay the favour by doing the same for him." Tikki assured the Angel and Plagg nodded in agreement. Marinette smiled slightly, standing back up and dusting off her clothes.

"We're gonna need some backup,"

 **o0o0o0o0o0o**

When she finally returned to the Angel Kingdom on horseback with a small cat in her arms, the Angels were scrambling in chaos. Many carried weapons and plates of silver armour and those who weren't joining the war were scrambling to help. Carriages pulled by Pegasus' were loaded with shields and canons. So it was happening, the war was beginning.

Marinette realized she had been staring and didn't even hear Alya calling her name until Plagg nudged her, her gaze immediately snapping to the Angel who stood a safe distance from her Pooka.

"Marinette! Where have you been? It's been chaos all morning and you were out rendezvousing in the forest?" She asked, clearly frustrated with everything going on. Marinette pursed her lips and glanced around quickly for her parents, wondering if they were still in the bakery.

"Uh, I'll explain in a minute, follow me." She instructed as she got Tikki to bring her to the nearby stables which were now empty. She heard Alya huff before following and she waited for Marinette to dismount before continuing her little rant.

"Queen Chloe has already got an army of Angel's helping her in this war, and I've been told that the Demon Kingdom has not only accepted to go to war but also has a new ruler," Alya explained and at the mention of a new ruler, Marinette's heart skipped a beat in panic.

"What the King's name?" She asked and Alya crossed her arms.

"If you're wondering if it's Adrien, it's not."

Marinette wasn't sure whether to be relieved or extremely troubled by this news, if he wasn't the King then did that mean he was killed during Pro Coronam? Or did he just not compete?

As if reading her thoughts, Plagg spoke up, still seated on the saddle on Tikki's back, "With what happened last night, I don't think Adrien would've joined Pro Coronam. His father wouldn't send him out injured,"

Alya stared at the cat in curiosity, "Who's this?" She asked and Marinette realized Alya hadn't met either of the Pookas yet.

"Oh, uh, right. This is Plagg, and this is Tikki," She gestured to the two, "They're Pookas."

Plagg glanced over at Alya with disinterest, then casually began to groom his paws. Tikki showed a bit more interest in the Angel, practically smiling with just her eyes. Marinette wondered if Plagg was always this uninterested in everything, then again, he seemed pretty concerned when talking about Adrien that morning.

The memory made Marinette's wings tremble and she shook her head to rid her thoughts. He was fine, she told herself, he'll be fine.

"How'd you get two Pookas?" Alya asked, eyeing the Angel with suspicion. Marinette rubbed the back of her neck nervously, an awkward smile on her face as she glanced off to the side.

"It's a... long story," She explained before changing the subject, her eyes back on the brunette, "Alya, I need your help." Her friend blinked in surprise at the sudden demand but agreed to help anyway.

"With what?"

Marinette paused, "I need to get into the Demon Kingdom,"

Alya stared at her with wide eyes, taking a moment to process what she had just said. Marinette clasped her hands together in anticipation. This was the first time Marinette had ever seen Alya speechless, it was... unnerving.

"You _WHAT_?" She said loudly and Marinette flinched, glancing around to make sure no one could hear them.

"It's to save Adrien, something bad happened to him and I'm the only one who can help him." Marinette's words came out more desperately than she expected but she just hoped it was enough to persuade Alya.

"I'm sure you're over-reacting Mari—"

"She's not," Plagg cut in, no longer grooming his paws. He had a stern look on his face that told Alya he was being 100% serious. Marinette felt like he was the type of person who wouldn't have come to her if it wasn't completely serious. "Adrien's in trouble and Marinette is the only person who he can count on,"

"W-what about his family?" Alya asked, and Plagg shook his tiny cat head.

"He doesn't have a family," He said and glanced off to the side, "Not anymore,"

Alya fell silent for a moment before sighing, "Why does it have to be Marinette though?" She asked and Marinette could tell that Alya just didn't want her risking her life for a Demon. But to Marinette, saving Adrien was worth the risk.

"Because I'm his only friend," Marinette answered and Alya stared at her for a moment with doleful eyes, a knowing look on her face. Alya had met Adrien, she knew he was a good person and hopefully, she knew he was worth saving. To Marinette, he was worth anything.

Alya sighed, "Alright, let's go save your Prince Charming."

 **o0o0o0o0o0o**

A plan was laid out, Marinette and Alya would join the Angels who would be going out into the war, but once they got to the forest, Marinette would take a detour, taking secrets trails only her and Adrien were aware of. They would ride the Pookas so that once they were far enough, they would begin to blend in with the Demons. Marinette also had the idea to wear black cloaks to hide their wings, an idea inspired by Adrien.

It seems like everything she did reminded her somehow of him, but with each small reminder, she felt even more determined to find out what happened to him.

"So after we get past the... battlefield, then what do we do?" Alya asked as she placed another pile of black fabric on the desk Marinette was working at. She glanced up from her sewing machine, noting the pieces of fabric beside her and her friend standing behind her.

"Then we sneak into the Demon Kingdom. There'll be two guards protecting the border so we'll get the Pookas to take care of that. Then when they're gone, we'll sneak into the village which will most likely be crowded with soldiers and villagers. Don't talk to any of them though, Adrien said they're not very friendly last time he went." Marinette explained and Alya took a seat beside her.

"O-Kay... then what?"

"Then we'll head over to the castle, Adrien's bedroom balcony is always open so we'll get in through there. But it'll be difficult without anyone noticing us so we'll take the Pookas up. One at a time so people don't notice," Marinette continued as she finished another stitch, moving the fabric again to start on the hood.

"Once we're in, the bedroom door may be locked so we'll get Tikki or Plagg to slip under and unlock it from the outside. As far as I remember, the sleeping chambers are on the top floor so we'll have to go down a few floors to get to the cellar, which I believe is in the basement." Marinette glanced over at Plagg who nodded in confirmation, once again grooming his paws while Tikki took a seat on the desk beside the Angel.

"How do you know all of this?" Alya asked, looking over the mess in front of her. She wasn't sure how Marinette was able to work in such a cluttered space but then again, Marinette was always different.

"Um..." Marinette paused, "Well, Adrien liked to rant about home a lot so I asked him how the castle was laid out."

Alya stared at her, "And he just tells you everything?"

Marinette nodded, "We're best friends— I mean, good friends. No one could ever take your place as my BFF." She quickly corrected and Alya simply nodded slowly, crossing her arms.

"I better not be replaced by a Demon," Alya said, evidently joking with the girl, but even so, Marinette still blushed to the tips of her ears.

"Of course! And he's not just some demon, he's..." Marinette trailed off, trying to think of the perfect word to describe him. Alya smirked.

"Hot as hell?"

Marinette's face burned up once again, "Well, I mean, yeah, but he acts more... angelic. He's super nice and wouldn't hurt a soul," She said and she wasn't aware of it at the time, but those words held more irony she knew even existed.

Alya chuckled, "I'll believe it when I see it, as far as I know, he's a demon who broke his hand punching a tree."

Marinette felt suddenly defensive, pausing her sewing to meet Alya's gaze. "He was upset with his father, he had a perfectly good reason for taking out his anger on a tree other than an actual person."

Alya blinked in surprise, going silent for a moment before adverting her gaze, "I didn't know he had daddy issues... that's rough,"

Marinette's gaze softened and she glanced back at her sewing machine, "Yeah, especially since... since he doesn't have a mother or any other family members. Besides Plagg, I'm his only friend. No one in the Demon Kingdom treats him well, he's an outsider just because he's different." Marinette said, her voice wavering as she thought about his saddened face, how his cat ears would pin back against his head and his eyes would gloss over. She felt her heart clench and Alya could probably see the pain in her face.

"You really like him, don't you?" She asked and Marinette quickly met her gaze, her cheeks once again heating up. She didn't even need to think long for her answer.

"More than anything,"

Alya stared at her for a moment, reading her expression before smiling, "Then there's no doubt you'll save him."


	7. Chapter 7: This Means War

The Demon Kingdom had been in a state of chaos ever since Pro Coronam ended and a new King was crowned, this King had won in the tournament, outsmarting the other three Demons and only having to kill one of them. The other two, killed each other. It was the fastest Pro Coronam in Demon history, but just as enjoyable to watch.

For the first time in Adrien's life, Gabriel looked proud of him as he stepped out of the colosseum, his clothes stained with blood. Not his blood of course, the other Demons didn't stand a chance against him after the exorcism.

As the two walked through the castle towards Adrien's room, he noticed his father kept glancing over at him. It was annoying, as if Gabriel was almost suspicious of him. Adrien had done what he wanted, what else could he possibly want from him?

"Is there something on your mind, Father?" Adrien asked without sparing a glance his way, his icy blue eyes more focused on his bloody attire. Gabriel cleared his throat, shaking his head as he clasped his hands behind his back.

"You impressed me during Pro Coronam, I didn't expect you to—"

"Win?" Adrien cut in and Gabriel stared at him as they continued to walk through the halls of the castle.

"No, I had the outmost certainty that you would win, I just didn't expect you to use such a strategy. Outsmarting your opponents; you are truly suited to be King." Gabriel said and Adrien fell silent, thinking back to the battle that took place just that morning.

He had used his wings as an advantage, tripping and smacking the others down with just a flick. His ring came in handy as well, summoning a ball of fire and hurling it at the unexpected. Winning was easy, becoming King was harder. He still had that little voice in the back of his mind telling him this was wrong, that he didn't want to be King and that he should go back to Marinette. He knew it was just his angelic side trying to take over again, so he ignored it and forced it down.

"The Kingdom is expecting to hear from you Adrien," His father said, snapping him out of his daze and he glanced up at the taller Demon.

"Right," He said as they came up to his room, "I should change into more appropriate clothing,"

Gabriel nodded in agreement, glancing down at Adrien's attire with disgust. "Please do, I expect you to be out in the throne room in ten minutes." He said, then turned and walked away. Adrien watched him leave, practically glaring behind his back before going into his room and closing the door behind him.

He let out a sigh as he moved across the floor to the large mirror, staring at his reflection. He nearly cringed. His hair was a mess and his clothing was stained with blood, most likely dried by now. But something looked out of place, perhaps it was because his eyes were no longer their normal green but instead an cold pale blue, the sclera of his eye only a shade darker then his iris. He was different and yet... he still looked like Adrien, like his angelic self. Now he cringed.

He needed to make a few changes.

He went over to his walk-in closest and finally got out of those bloodied garments, tossing them into a pile to be taken out later. He walked past the outfits that were on display, stopping when he spotted one that best suited him. An outfit that was entirely black, the shirt made from an fabric specially made for combat that had arm and shoulder guards embedded with silver lining. The pants were a similar concoction, with ankle guards that connected the pants with the matching steel-toed boots and another guard for his wrists to connect the black gloves. The outfit itself was supposed to be a joke, his father despised it but Adrien was feeling a bit rebellious at the moment, so his father's feelings went out the window in his decision making.

He got into the outfit and was pulling on his gloves when he caught a glimpse of himself in the many mirrors of his walk-in closet. Something was missing. It was too... bland. He needed something that stood out. He made his way over to the drawers of accessories and examined his choices before finally deciding on a collar-like choker with its very on golden bell. Again, another joke to his father. He was going to embrace his cat-like tendencies and features and shove his father's reputation in the dirt. He couldn't control him anymore, Adrien was the King now. He made the rules.

Just before he closed the drawer, his eye caught on another black accessory; a simple mask. He hesitated before taking it into his hands and turning to face a mirror, staring at his dark reflection for a moment before making the decision that he would hide his identity, he was no longer Adrien.

He was a King. He was Chat Noir.

" _You're taking this too far_!" The Angel in him shouted but he simply ignored it, cancelling out his voice until it was white-noise.

"I won't let father control me any longer, and I certainly won't be tricked by some Angel who thinks she can change who I am." Chat Noir said as he left the walk-in closet, leaving his Angel self behind with it.

* * *

He let his wings spread out far behind him, the feathers once full and slick were now unkempt and molting like a dying tree. He couldn't care less, the only thing that was considered an inconvenience for him would be his inability to fly properly now. Normally, he would need to rest, let his wings molt naturally over time. But with the war, that wasn't going to be happening.

He stood before a crowd of Demons, all of them rallied up and wild. They had already heard the news of the Angels declaring war and they had seen Adrien's fight in the Pro Coronam. They were surprised at first, of course, but soon grew to trust him after seeing how he outsmarted his competitors. It was the trait of a true King and they loved it. No one questioned his sudden change of heart, how he went from the only Demon Pacifist to suddenly killing without remorse.

He had completely cut off the Angel side of himself leaving only the Demon in control.

' _He's being arrogant,' The Angel thought as he stared up at the sky, blocked by the hazy purple force field that surrounded him like a dome. He laid on his back, letting his wings spread out against the grass around him. He was well-aware that he was inside his own head and yet, everything felt so real. He could feel the breeze seep through his clothing and chill his skin, even the grass felt as though he was there in the forest. The only thing missing was Marinette._

 _The thought made him sigh, what he wouldn't give to be with her right now. The fact that he could've been gone from this nightmare and been with Marinette somewhere that no Angel or Demon could ever find them, set a fire inside him that was filled with rage for his father. That man ruined everything for him. He ruined his chances of living the life he wanted to live. He didn't choose to be a Demon, he was always like his mother, angelic and kind. The person that was in control of his body at this very moment wasn't him, it was who his father wanted him to be._

 _He rolled onto his side, running a hand against the white feathers of his wings. He couldn't feel pain in this world, he realized that not much after he rolled over. He was laying on his wing, crushing it with his weight and yet he couldn't feel any pain. Were his wings even real? Was any of this real? Was he real? He didn't know the answer, he didn't know anything anymore._

 _His world had been completely flipped upside down and torn apart to bits and all he could do was wonder what he could've had. A life with his mother, who cared and loved him or a life where demons and angels weren't at war; a world where they could live together without conflict. A life with Marinette. She was truly the only light in his life, the only one who accepted him for who he was despite being a demon. He might've saved her the day they first met, but she was really the one who saved him. His life was worth living with her in it. Without her he felt... numb._

 _He didn't realize his eyes had filled with tears until he felt them slip down the side of his face, letting out a trembling breath as he brought his hands up to wipe them away. He couldn't give up just yet, he had to make it back to Marinette, he had to take back control of himself._

 _He forced himself up, letting his wings stretch out behind him as he straightened out. He glanced around at the dome, trying to figure out a way through. There had to be a way, right? This was his own mind, so somewhere deep, deep down, he already knew the way out. He just had to find out what that was._

 _After a few more moments of thinking, he decided to just go for it, running straight for it and smashing into it with the side of his body, but at contact he had bounced right back, landing flat with his eyes staring up at the sky. He let out a small whine as a pain in his shoulder spread throughout his arm. He should've expected as much, running head first into things was never a good idea._

 _He sat back up, catching a glimpse of how the dome rippled like water, almost like it was laughing at him. He frowned, his brows furrowed in determination. He got back on his feet and placed a hand on the force field, his eye catching on a silver gleam coming from his hand. His ring._

 _His face lit up with an idea and he kept his hand firm on the dome, focusing all of his energy into the band on his finger. He wasn't even sure if this would work, he had never seen the ring turn silver before but he couldn't feel the same power as before which means something other than its apparence had changed._

 _He needed this dome destroyed. He couldn't conjure up those green flames as before but perhaps if he focused hard enough, he could do something else._

 _Please do something else._

 _He watched as his ring slowly shifted to an ebony black, noticing the tingle of power that manifested in his palm. Black matter, almost like smoke, gathered in his hand and he nearly jumped when he felt the force field suddenly begin to crack, like glass being cooled down rapidly._

 _Then, as if being set off like a firework, the dome broke into shards, tiny purple crystals floating down around him like mist. Despite just being destroyed, it was magical, a beauty he had never been able to witness until that very moment. He watched in awe as they shimmered and slowly fell to the ground, the realization dawning on him that he did this. His destruction created something beautiful._

 _He had gotten through his first priority; he broke through. Now, he had to take back control._

* * *

Demons were blood-thirsty, merciless monsters. Their purpose was to start wars and spread hate, this was what they were made for. For years, they had been deprived of this instinctual hunger, gone insane from withdrawal until they acted almost... normal. They weren't suppose to be peacekeepers, and they were certainly never meant to experience an emotion such as love. Under the command of Gabriel, they had been starving, reduced to killing each other for fun while they awaited the day they could fulfill their purpose.

And that's exactly what Chat Noir did. He brought back purpose. He was their voice and they all willingly followed his lead as he gathered up enough Demons to create an army. There was no need for training, they all knew what they were doing, it was practically etched in their bones.

Fight. Fight. _Kill_.

He watched them line up in rows of 5, cavalry in the back and armoured up Demons in the front, weapons in hand. They brought with them swords, spears and even nets to catch airborne Angels. Chat had the strategy all planned out; instead of heading straight into battle, they would set up an ambush and flank the Angel soldiers from the sides, using the forest to their advantage. He had a few rules during battle; kill any Angel on sight and if failed to do so, take the injured as prisoners. They were merciless, which meant killing an Angel would be showing them mercy.

Prisoners were to be held in the castle and their fate would be decided by Chat Noir personally.

His thoughts were interrupted by a hand on his shoulder, his attention being drawn to the Demon next to him. He glared up at his father who only found amusement in his foul attitude. It was as if to say, this is what I wanted. Everything worked out perfectly. I'm finally proud.

"Adrien—" His father started but Chat brushed off Gabriel's hand and returned his attention to the army below them.

"I'd prefer if you called me Chat Noir. Or, if you'd like, just call me 'Your Majesty'; after all, I am the King now. Right, _father_?" He replied coldly, shooting a side glare at the man. Gabriel only chuckled quietly.

"Of course... _Chat Noir,_ "

Chat felt his wings tremble, another feather lost as he tucked them in tightly. Gabriel noticed this, a small smirk pulling at his lips.

"You should rest here while your wings molt, they're practically twigs now." Gabriel informed him, a matter-of-factly. Chat turned on his heel to face him, his icy blue eyes glaring daggers.

"I will say when I need to rest, you no longer control me. As your King, I believe you are to bow when you speak to me." Chat ordered, a smug smile crossing his face at the look of shock he received.

"But—"

A green hue radiating from Chat's fist silenced him immediately, " _Bow._ "

Gabriel glanced around and Chat noticed the small crowd of Demon officials and Knights that had began to gather, curious and amused. Chat only grinned, finally able to humiliate his father without consequences. Gabriel slowly sunk down, getting to one knee and lowering his head.

Quietly, he muttered, "All hail the King."

* * *

Marinette was beginning to question why she decided this was a good idea. Joining the war? _Really_? A battle against Demons was suicide! She tightened her grip on the reins, her Pooka, Tikki, noticing her distress. Beside her, on the back of Plagg's Pooka form, was Alya who Marinette could tell was just as nervous but somehow she hid it much more effectively.

"Marinette," Started Tikki, glancing back at the Angel on her back, "It'll be alright. We just have to stick to your plan and everything will be fine."

Marinette nodded, taking in a deep breath as she went over the plan again for the 34th time in her head. Head up west, pass the battle and get to the castle without being noticed. Tikki and Plagg played a very important part in all of this, they were Pooka's, which meant they could blend in with Demon horses. Marinette had spent the entire night sewing and cutting fabric to create two black hooded cloaks. She also created masks for herself and Alya, just in case. Hers was red with black spots, like a ladybug, and Alya's was orange, white and black. When Marinette had asked her what she wanted the mask to look like, Alya answered 'something foxy', so that's what she did.

Of course, she might've taken it too literally.

"Nervous?" Alya asked suddenly, catching Marinette off-guard. Her wings puffed up and she nearly fell off the saddle.

"What? Nervous? N-No, I'm not nervous. Where'd you get that idea? Haha..." She trailed off when she saw Alya's expression. A raised eyebrow and a smile that said ' _Really_?' without words. Marinette deflated.

"Okay... Yeah, I'm nervous. I didn't exactly plan to go off to war at 17 but hey, at least they didn't stop us." She said with a unnatural smile. Alya shared the same uneasy smile, evidently anxious and most likely scared. Marinette didn't blame anyone who was scared, this was war against Demons, they were fighting not only for their pride as Chloe had said but their lives more than anything.

The difference between Angels and Demons wasn't their apparence or beliefs, it was their nature. Angels were suppose to spread love and hope, not hate and war. That was a Demons specialty.

No, Marinette told herself, not all Demons were bad. Adrien was good, he was kind and cared about others. He wasn't like other Demons. He was special. Was he the only one like that?

"Angels of Seraphim! The Queen has ordered the front line to advance! We will set up base in the forest before the Demons and go from there. Allez!" The archangel with large golden wings spoke over the chatter of the crowd and just like that, the front line cavalry set off and followed him into the forest. Marinette took in a deep breath and tried to calm her racing heartbeat, her nerves peeking as the reality of everything dawned on her.

This was happening. Her fellow Angels were most likely about to be brutally slaughtered and she was about to go rogue with her best friend to save a Demon. She didn't want her secret to come out but her biggest concern at the moment was surviving to hear the lecture.

After a moment, they called for the archers to advance and then the healers. That was their cue, now they just had to get past the battlefield and eventually find Adrien.


	8. Chapter 8: Plan B

As Chat Noir was making his way down one of the many dimly lit hallways of the palace, he was confronted by a guard, but the Demon wasn't trying to stop him, but instead had a letter. More accurately a small piece of folded paper.

"Your Majesty, this is for you. A visiter told me to give it to you right away." The guard explained and Chat stared at the paper before hesitantly taking it, the small smirk that crossed the guard's face unnatural and almost suspicious. Chat ignored the guard's weird expression and opened the note.

 _Meet me in the library. - L._

Chat stared at the note a moment longer, trying to figure out if this was some sort of trick. He had an army to lead and some mysterious visiter was handing out notes? Who was L? Out of all the questions that flooded his head, only one made it out.

"We have a library?"

The guard couldn't help but smile, an obvious struggle to keep it hidden. Chat placed the note in his coat pocket and returned his attention to the smirking Demon.

"Do you know who gave you this note? What did they look like?" Chat asked and the guard cleared his throat, straightening out as his expression returned to its normal sombre state.

"It was a woman, Your Majesty. I didn't see her face, she was wearing a hood." The guard replied and Chat let out a sigh, irritation lacing his features.

"She didn't give you her name? What, did she just walk through the front doors and no one stopped her? For godsake, we're suppose to be on lockdown!" He exclaimed as he passed by the guard, his withered wings flaring open. He was determined to find out who L was, and his curiosity only grew when he heard it was a woman.

Was it Marinette? No, impossible, there was no way she would walk right in and speak to a Demon guard. Which meant it had to be another Demon.

L...

Why couldn't he piece it together? Why couldn't he remember?

L...

It was practically clawing at his brain, but everyone he had met before the exorcism was faded, a technique his Demon-self tried to use to make it easier to erase all traces of emotions like love. Now it was backfiring on him. The only thing he could think about lately was Marinette which only made him even more infuriated.

Who else did he—

He stopped dead in his tracks, realization dawning on him like cold water. _Of course_. It was the girl he met in the village, the Demon who had acted nice towards him.

 _Lila Rossi_.

He smiled as he continued on, fixing the cuffs of his sleeves as he walked towards the East Wing, the hall just outside the sleeping chambers. He was almost certain he remembered a library being there, recalling how it was closed off for a long period of time after... the accident.

He didn't pass another Demon as he made his way through the palace, the entire East Wing completely silent. All the guards were either at the gates or out in the forest setting up the ambush. He wondered if Lila knew this.

He felt his wings tremble, a chill running up his spine.

When he reached the grand library oak doors, he pushed them open with one hand and in the other, summoned a small ball of green flames. The inside of the library was dark, even darker than the hallways that were only lit by small charcoal lanterns, the violet flames casting a sinister glow across the room. He took a step inside the room and the door behind him slammed shut, his wings snapping open with alert. In that moment, the flame in his hand went out and his icy blue eyes glanced behind him at the door, feeling his nerves rise. He found it hard to believe that Lila had perhaps set him up and any moment now he was about to be assassinated. That is, if it was truly Lila.

His cat ears twitched as a noise to his side caught his attention and he whipped around, pining whoever was in here with him to the wall. He heard them grunt and a second later his night vision finally set in, his blue eyes luminescent as he took in who was in front of him. A breath of relief escaped him.

"Didn't mean to scare you, Your Majesty." Lila said quietly, a smirk on her orange lips. Chat let her go and took a step back, running a hand through his hair and brushing past the cat ears protruding from his head. A sense of familiarity rushed through him that nearly made him hiss. It was his Angelic side talking.

"You wanted to speak with me Lila?" Chat asked, cutting to the chase. She crossed her arms, leaning back against the wall as she looked him up and down.

"Yes... I have a proposal for you. By the way, did I ever tell you that black is totally your colour? You look... really good." She pointed out, smiling as she met his gaze, at this point realizing what was different about him. His eyes. He noticed how her wings behind her twitched suddenly but ignored it.

"A proposal?" He repeated, trying to get her focused. She snapped out of it and nodded with a smile.

"After you won Pro Coronam and became King, people have been talking about you. They say you're unlike any other. But of course, there are still people how remember how you used to be and they're calling you a coward for merely outsmarting your opponents instead of just killing them all." She explained and Chat placed his hands on his hips, trying to figure out what she could possibly have to say besides his own people hate him. He wouldn't be surprised.

"Okay... so?"

"They think you rigged the system or something. They think your father had something to do with you winning."

She wasn't wrong, Gabriel technically did.

"What's your point?" Chat asked and Lila stared at him for a moment, trying to read his expression in the darkness. She pursed her lips, her gaze dodging his own suddenly. Her shoulders tensed and even her wings seemed uptight. Something was obviously on her mind that she wanted to say.

Chat tilted his head slightly, his expression a facade of softness. "Lila?"

She met his gaze and let out a breath, shaking her head slightly as if brushing an idea away. "Anyways, my point is I think I might have a way to make you look more powerful."

Chat's ears perked up, blinking as he processed her words. "Really?" He finally said after a moment, "How?"

She paused, clasping her hands together tightly and glancing off to the side shyly. Then she took in a deep breath and met his gaze.

"Let me become Queen... your wife."

* * *

Marinette stayed silent the entire time the group made their way into the forest on horseback, the sound of twigs snapping under the weight of their Pegasi and Pookas, hooves clopping in rhythm. The forest was silent even as they got closer to the Demon border, there was no sign of any attack. The overcast sky created a dark atmosphere around them, only adding to their chills. When the archers finally caught up with the front lines, the archangel from before seemed stressed, silent as he thought of a plan. No one expected to be met with silence.

It was the worst kind of horror.

"Archers, set up in the trees and survey the ground from the skies. I got a bad feeling about this..." The archangel instructed and immediately they all went to work, using their wings to climb up without difficulty, others taking to the sky to get a Birdseye view. Marinette watched them, distracted by how easy they made it look. They seemed so relax, their feathers not even bristled or puffed up like her own. Was she the only one scared out of her mind?

"Healers," The archangel spoke and Marinette's attention was brought back to him, "You should all stay a safe distance back, we don't want any of you to get caught in a crossfire when it breaks out."

Marinette nearly sighed in relief, her gaze switching over to Alya beside her who had a face full of determination. Or perhaps that was just to hide the fear. As they were turning around to head back, Tikki subtly began to bring them off to the side, Plagg following her lead. Marinette's plan was underway. They were flanking off to the side to go around the battlefield, hoping to end up at the Demon gates without being spotted. They waited behind a few trees and bushes until they were sure none of the healers would notice their disappearance before heading off.

They followed the stream, a trail Marinette had used only a few times alone. The water was so peaceful and clear, a soothing sound as it flowed downhill, almost as if it was the calm before the storm. She was intending to take secret pathways that only she knew about, paths that she had found with Adrien when he was still around. At the thought, her gaze fell downcast, a sense of longing washing over her.

"Hey," Alya suddenly spoke up and Marinette's gaze snapped over to her, staring at her expectantly. The brunette glanced off to the side for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "If this... doesn't work out—"

"Don't say that. It will, I'm sure of it. Just... have a little faith in me." She interrupted, not wanting to think of what might happen if her plan fails. She was putting not only her life in danger but Alya's, Tikki's and Plagg's. And who knows who else's, even Adrien could be effected if this didn't work. She needed to believe this would work.

It had to work.

"I do have faith in you girl, it's just... Well... what if we're too late? Y'know, to save Adrien." Alya asked, and Marinette furrowed her eyebrows, a look of hopelessness flashing across her features for a moment before she shook her head.

"N-No, we're not too late. R-right Plagg?" She asked, her tone sounding desperate as she glanced over at the Pooka carrying Alya. His green eyes stayed glued to the ground below him, a small sigh escaping him.

"I hope so. He's a good kid but... everyone breaks sometimes." He answered, not meeting her gaze.

Marinette raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

Before he could answer, the distant sound of a scream was heard and Marinette's wings tensed up under the cloak, her feathers even more bristled than before. Before long, more cries were heard.

"Do you think... that's our troops?" Alya asked, her voice quivering as she glanced around nervously. Marinette could only stare wide-eyed in the direction of the screams, her heart racing and her mouth suddenly dry. Without a word, both Tikki and Plagg picked up their pace, running side-by-side as they fled the area.

Marinette held onto Tikki and buried her face in her mane, closing her eyes tightly. She didn't want to think about the Angels on the front line or what was happening to them. She didn't want to think of the archers who were desperately trying to keep the Demons back as they advanced. She didn't want to think of the horror and bloodbath that would be left of them.

She heard Alya exclaim, "The Demons! They're flanking!" Marinette glanced up just as Tikki and Plagg came to an abrupt stop and brought the Angels over to a small hole-like cave on the side of some elevated ground, hidden by a single fallen tree. Alya dismounted first and quickly took cover in the hole, Plagg shifting into a smaller form to fit inside.

"Marinette! You need to hide!" Alya shouted in a hushed-whisper. Marinette wasn't processing anything that was happening, why did she need to hide? Where were the Demons? As she glanced around, she got her answer. They practically surrounded them, the only reason why none of them had noticed the four of them yet was because of their dark apparence. Marinette nearly jumped off the saddle and ducked to take cover, her heart pounding against her ribs. Tikki joined them in the hole and they fell silent, listening as the Demons raced off to the Angel front lines.

They were ambushed, the Angels didn't stand a chance against an attack such as this one. Did that mean the Demons won? Marinette didn't know anymore. Her thoughts were racing, close to hyperventilating as she tried to come up with a new strategy. They could still make it to the gates, they just had to wait until the Demons were far enough.

After what seemed like hours, the forest fell silent again, a chill running up Marinette's spine as uneasiness settled in the pit of her stomach. She began to crawl out of the hole, glancing around to check if anyone was nearby.

She felt Alya grab her wrist and she snapped her gaze over to her friend. "Marinette," Alya started, her voice quiet and her eyes wide with fear. "You shouldn't go out there."

Marinette swallowed thickly, "I know, but I need to check to make sure we can keep going."

"All of this for a Demon? Don't you see this is crazy? You're gonna get killed!" She whispered, tightening her grip on Marinette's wrist.

"I can't stand by and do nothing Alya, he means the world to me and I don't care what I have to do to save him, I'm doing this!" Marinette replied, pulling her wrist free as she finally crawled out of the hole. Perhaps Alya was right, her plan was crazy, yes, but she was too stubborn to be stopped.

Marinette got to her feet, staying crouched so she wasn't so obvious standing there and scanned the area. As far as she could tell, she didn't see any Demons, which meant they were all at the front lines. She just hoped she was right about that.

She took off running, certain that she couldn't be that far from the Demon Kingdom at this point. Just a bit longer and she'd be—

She felt a hand grab her wrist and in a matter of seconds, she was pinned to the ground. She gasped, feeling the air being knocked out of her and twisted her body around so she was facing her attacker, her hood falling down in the process. Her blood ran cold.

It was a Demon. One with icy blue eyes framed by a black mask, most of his head covered by a hood and a dagger being held inches away from her neck. His wings were spread out wide behind him, or what was left of them. They were ebony black and withering like dying branches.

Instinctively, Marinette reached into the bag tied around her waist and slammed the orb against the ground, setting off a flash-bang that temporarily blinded the Demon, enough that his grip on her completely broke off and she was able to kick herself free, getting up quickly and running as fast as her legs could carry her. She heard the blue-eyed Demon curse behind her and instead of going straight forward, she hid behind a tree, her breathing laboured and unsteady.

 _I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm so dead!_

Marinette pulled out her sword from its sheath tied at her hip, the same sword given to every Angel before they left Seraphim and gripped the handle with two hands, her knuckles turning white and her palms clammy. She tried to force herself to breathe, her chest rising and falling too quickly. She could feel her pulse in her fingertips, the adrenaline rushing through her like electricity.

Marinette slowly peeked out from behind the tree, her heart skipping a beat when she found... nothing. He had just disappeared. Fear crept up on her and she whipped her head back around, a scream catching in her throat as she was found face-to-face with the Demon. Before she could attempt to run away, his hand was around her neck and the dagger in the other was being held against her stomach, the force and pure shock causing her to drop her sword helplessly.

His grip around her neck wasn't tight, but he was pushing her back against the tree and she felt like she had stopped breathing minutes ago. She stared at him with wide eyes, frozen with fear. She couldn't move, it was almost as if the icy blue in his eyes was enough to freeze her from the inside.

Then he smiled and she felt her heart drop.

"You're pretty far from the front lines, aren't you? Trying to sneak into the Kingdom?" He asked teasingly, the sinister smile not making her feel any better about the fact that he hadn't killed her yet. He was playing with her, just like those three Demons all those months ago, the one's Adrien had saved her from.

She didn't reply, her tongue frozen in her mouth. The Demon tilted his head slightly to the side, his gaze shifting down to the dagger being held against her. She swallowed hard. He looked so calm, as if nothing about what he was doing to her was wrong. She supposed not in a war, and especially not against Demons such as himself.

His hand slowly let go of her neck, although the dagger stayed where it was, and carefully with his gloved hand he took off the mask framing her own eyes. Something in his expression cracked and his eyes widened, speechless for a moment as something processed in his mind. Perhaps he knew who she was, but she found that debatable. She had never met a blue eyed demon before, though she had to admit he did give her a sense of familiarity.

Then, as if switching back to normal, he smirked and ran the blade of his dagger up her arm, moving her cloak off to the side. She felt a shiver run down her spine as the cold metal brushed against her arm, her wings twitching uncontrollably.

"I'm not going to kill you. But I've made a rule for myself," The Demon said quietly as he met her gaze, "I can only take prisoners if they've been injured."

Words were just beginning to form in Marinette's mouth before she felt a sharp pain in her wing, realizing the Demon's dagger had dug into her white feathers. She let out a pained scream, her legs giving out from beneath her and she collapsed to the ground, her right wing stuck between the tree and the dagger. She glanced up at the Demon who only grinned with amusement at her pained expression.

That's when she knew, he was downright crazy. Anyone who could find joy or pleasure in seeing someone in pain was insane.

"Y-You're a monster..." Marinette hissed through gritted teeth and the Demon crouched down to her level, Marinette flinching as he did so. He took in a deep breath, smiling ominously.

"I know,"

He pulled the dagger out of the tree, releasing Marinette's injured wing. She hissed in pain, cradling the feathers close to her. The Demon watched her carefully, something in the back of his mind screaming at him to leave her alone. He took in a sharp trembling breath, gripping the handle of his dagger tightly in his gloved hand.

Marinette glanced over at the fallen tree from before, noticing with wide eyes that Alya was peeking out, watching in fear. She needed to leave, if this Demon got her too then their plan would be ruined. They had to go to plan B.

Marinette tried to subtly wave her off, silently telling her to leave; run and get help, keep Tikki and Plagg safe. Alya shook her head, too stubborn to leave her alone. Then her eyes widened and she suddenly stumbled back, Marinette confused at first until the Demon walked past her.

Crap.

Without thinking, Marinette got to her feet despite her wing begging her to get some rest, and threw herself at him, feeling the base of his wings stabbing into her stomach. She wrapped her arms around his neck and with a grunt, pulled him back. The Demon stumbled over, digging his claws into her arm as he tried to pry her off of himself.

"R-Run! Get out of here!" Marinette exclaimed in a panicked scream, barely able to take her focus off the Demon to glance up at Alya watching in a mix of awe and terror.

"But—" She started but before she could finish, Tikki and Plagg had crawled out of their hiding spot and Marinette was just able to watch as Tikki changed into her Pooka form and Plagg who was now in his Demon shape, grabbed Alya and tossed her onto Tikki's back.

Plagg glanced back at Marinette with green eyes full of concern and guilt. She knew he wanted to help her, but getting himself hurt would only make it harder to go through with their plan.

Marinette had taken her attention off the Demon for too long and he had grabbed her by the arms and flipped her off of himself, letting her fall to the ground with a loud thump. She gasped as the wind was knocked out of her and she stared up at the vicious blue eyes of the Demon.

Her heart skipped a beat. On her way down, she had ripped off his cloak, only to show who he truly was.

That golden hair... the black cat ears that she knew no other Demon had simply because she asked him herself.

It was Adrien.

She heard Plagg's galloping footsteps as he raced after Tikki and then she was alone with Adrien— no, this wasn't Adrien anymore.

"W-What happened to you?" She wheezed out, her wings trembling in pain. He crouched down to get closer, a smirk crossing his face that was once so kind and soft, was now dark and sinister.

"Oh Marinette, I almost pity you. You joined this war to save me, no? I'm assuming that's why you had Plagg with you." He said, placing a gloved hand on the side of her face. She felt frozen in place, unable to move or even speak. This was Adrien but at the same time, it really wasn't. Not the Adrien she knew, not the Adrien she fell in love with.

"A-Adrien?"

His blue eyes narrowed and she gasped when she felt one of his claws dig into the skin of her cheek, leaving a long scratch near her lips. She bit back a hiss of pain, her body trembling uncontrollably. He only smiled.

"Adrien died in that cellar, I've taken control now as Chat Noir." He explained and Marinette stared up at him, despite having to face him upside-down, she could see how something in his expression became distant.

Taken control? He almost made it sound like he had... two personalities, each one fighting for dominance.

"What did your father do to you?" She asked, trying to get the truth out to confirm her theory. Chat glanced off to the side, frowning as he did so.

"My father... told me the truth, who I am and what I can be. After a few _alterations_ , I've taken the throne now and he follows my orders." Chat replied and cut the conversation short, ceasing her questions as he stood back up and walked over to her side, dusting off his pants.

"Now, you can either be a good girl and come with me without any objections or I force you. Your choice." He offered, an innocent smile crossing his face that was too ominous to be real. She took in a deep breath, not planning on finding out how he forced people to come with him. She sat up, her wings aching and her back sore and tense. Being thrown to the ground wasn't the best thing to happen to her but at least it was better than having her feathers plucked. She spared a glance at her injured wing, sighing when she saw how much red had already soaked through her white feathers.

She glanced back at Chat Noir, "I'll come with you," She finally answered and he smiled.

"I knew you would,"

* * *

 **A/N: Another update! Yay! We're getting close guys, and yet we're so far from the end. Also, I told you guys Lila would be important.**

 **(I might even add the new characters in later chapters) Btw I apologize for the short and poorly written chapters lately, I just really want to finish this for you guys.**

 **One more thing! I read all of your reviews, and honestly they make me unbelievably happy when you guys say you're enjoying the story, that's why I came back to write. Love you guys**

 ** _Next Time: Adrien fights for control._**


	9. Chapter 9: Control

**(Small warning: Possible major character death)**

Marinette had never been in the Demon castle, nor had she been in the Angel castle but she knew it definitely could not be as dark and cold as it was in here. Everywhere she looked, it was just another shade of black or purple. The only thing that wasn't either one of those colours was the throne which was a gleaming gold and silver. Above her, was a high ceiling that had flags hanging from the walls, each flag exactly the same. Purple background with a black butterfly. She almost laughed. She wanted to comment on how their family crest was literally a butterfly but kept quiet.

She wasn't exactly in the position to be speaking up, especially not when she was on her knees with her hands tied behind her back in front of what seemed like a small army of angry demons. They had even chained up her wings so she couldn't try to escape, all under the orders of Chat Noir.

She watched him speak with a Demon in armour, too quiet to hear what they were saying but based on the sombre look on Chat's face, she could only guess that they were talking about the situation happening outside the castle walls.

Marinette couldn't figure out what had happened to him, but she was beginning to piece together the clues she had gotten– yet it still didn't add up in the end. Plagg said that he was being tortured in the cellars, and yet here he was, the King and looking stronger than ever. Then she remembered what Chat had told her; _Adrien had died in that cellar... —my father told me the truth... —after a few alterations_...

The only thing Marinette could think of was brainwash but she wasn't even sure if that was a real thing.

Was Adrien really just like every other demon she had met? Was he just as merciless and brutal as the rest? Was all of it just a lie..? She didn't want to believe it, Adrien was kind- he had saved her countless times, why now was he suddenly different?

She glanced behind her slightly, spotting her bag hanging on a hook with all of her healing items and magic spheres. Perhaps she had something in there that could help Adrien...

Her attention was pulled back to the throne as Chat Noir dismissed the Demon soldiers and they filed out of the room, leaving Chat alone with Marinette. She tried to stay calm, swallowing her fear and taking in a deep breath. She was still alive, which meant he didn't have intentions on killing her. Hopefully.

"What should I do with you..?" He pondered the question for a moment, taking a seat on his throne as he stared at her, his pale blue gaze piercing and Marinette had to force herself to look away. It just didn't seem right, this couldn't be real; Adrien couldn't be gone.

She didn't like how quiet it suddenly got, not even the sound of footsteps or shuffling could be heard. She risked a glance up at him, her heart clenching in her chest when she met his gaze again.

She gathered up her courage and spoke quietly, "Adrien.. please, this isn't you..."

She noticed how the welting feathers of his wings shuddered and a few more slowly drifted to the ground. He seemed to be debating what to say and she was almost surprised when he didn't yell at her for using his real name. Before he could speak, the sound of heels clicking against the marble flooring drew closer and Chat's cat ears perked up, a smile growing on his face. Marinette slowly turned her head to look behind her, her gaze immediately catching sight of a young woman with long brown hair and sly green eyes. She was wearing a long, slim orange dress that pronounced her curves and her dark wings were tucked in like an arch behind her. Marinette was undoubtedly confused but it didn't take long for the realization to set in and her heart seemed to have cracked in her chest with dread and pain.

She could only watch as the female Demon made her way over to the throne and without a slightest bit of hesitation she placed her hands on Chat's chest as he stood up and she pressed a kiss against his lips. Marinette let out a small whimper; it physically pained her to see the one she loved with someone else but she just couldn't seem to look away, it was like watching a train wreck.

What made it worse was when she noticed how the brunette opened one of her eyes slightly just to glance over at the heartbroken angel, and somehow even Marinette could tell that her gaze was smug.

Once they finally pulled away from each other, the Demon turned to face Marinette, a smirk on her face that angered the angel more than she would've liked. Chat seemed to notice.

"How rude of me, I never introduced you two— Marinette, this is Lila. She's a Demon I met a few days ago in the village and something about her struck me as different. Then she recently came to me with a deal and now... she's the Queen," Chat Noir explained it all and yet Marinette still felt lost. A few days ago? And Adrien never told her? She almost felt betrayed, especially now that this mystery girl was the literal Queen of the Demon Kingdom.

Lila smiled, glancing over at Chat briefly before making her way over to Marinette, her stare unsettling and highly irritating. Marinette wanted nothing more than to smack the smug look off her face.

"So you're Marinette... Smaller than I imagined," She said with a small tilt of her head and the angel glared. Lila's orange lips lifted into a smile and she ran a hand against the feathers of Marinette's wings, causing her to gasp out in discomfort as her wings trembled in their chains.

Lila looked back at Chat, "What are you going to do with her?" She asked expectantly and he sighed, taking a seat again in his throne.

"I'm not entirely sure yet... The other angels are going through torture but that seems too boring for her- she's special. I need to think of something better than that,"

As if she had put much thought into it, Lila perked up and rushed over to his side, her heels clicking and she leaned down beside him, whispering into his ear her idea and covering her mouth so Marinette couldn't figure it out. Chat turned his gaze to the demon, silent for a moment before smiling.

"Good idea my sweet vixen.." And with that he gave her another kiss and Marinette wasn't sure whether to cry or gag. She felt like doing both at this point- mostly cry.

Perhaps that was his idea all along; to get a Queen to make Marinette suffer the pain of heartbreak. If so, he truly was as cruel as any other Demon. She felt like she had just gotten her heart torn out of her chest and now she was trying to live without it. It was like breathing with no oxygen, just constantly gasping for air that wasn't even there.

When Marinette finally snapped out of her thoughts, her vision had suddenly blurred and it took her a moment to realize it was because she had tears running down her face. She didn't care anymore if he saw her vulnerabilities, this was bound to happen at some point.

Chat stood up again and waved over a guard who appeared by Marinette's side in less than a few seconds. "Take her to the lake behind the castle- you know what to do with her,"

Marinette kept her gaze on Chat as she was hoisted up and began to get dragged down the hall towards a door. She cried out in a final desperate attempt, "Adrien! Please! I didn't risk my life at war just for you to turn your back on me! I know you're still in there!"

She thought she saw something change in Chat's expression but dismissed it until he suddenly stumbled forward, falling over and landing on his knees with his wings spread out behind him. Marinette's eyes widened, watching as he ran his hands through his blond hair and tugged on the strands, as if trying to rip out thoughts from his mind.

The guard stopped dragging her as Chat suddenly let out a scream, one that didn't sound pained but rather frustrated and angered. She finally understood why when he spoke, "Stop! Get out! I'm the one in control! STOP!"

Marinette's thoughts were racing, trying to get the pieces together and figure out what exactly was happening. Who was he talking to? His words meant no sense, ever since she first saw him on the battle ground they had made no sense. Alterations? Control? The truth?

Marinette was suddenly dropped back to the ground as the guard let go of her and rushed over to Chat, but he didn't get to close, afraid he'd get hit if he did. Chat Noir growled in anger and pulled at his hair, his wings flexing and twitching behind him as if struggling in an invisible hold.

When he looked up at Marinette, she felt her blood run cold in fear for a moment, but then confusion settled in. His eyes.. one moment they were an icy blue and the next they were back to their normal green colour, switching back and forth rapidly. For a moment they stayed green and he looked.. scared.

"M-Marinette..!" He sounded desperate, like he was calling for help. "I-I can't-!" He was cut off by another scream and his eyes returned to blue.

Realization hit Marinette so hard that if she had been standing, she would've fallen over. He was fighting for control, he was battling himself. That had to be the only explanation. It suddenly all made sense.

The alterations he was talking about earlier must've been relating to what his father did to him in the cellar and how his entire personality and attitude changed. He was being controlled by someone else.

The angel attempted to move closer, shifting slightly in her chains. "Adrien! Fight it!" She was so distracted by him that she didn't notice Lila slowly moving to the side..

 **OoOoOoOoO**

"What do you think you're doing?! I'm in control, not you!" Adrien's demon side shouted furiously as he pinned him to the ground, the key to the mind just out of his reach off to the side- the only object needed to take control. Adrien grabbed hold of Chat's wrists to try and pry his hands away from his neck, but finding that his attempts were useless. His Demon side was stronger than his Angel one, meaning he'd have to find another way around this. He forced himself to roll over, bringing Chat along with him until Adrien was finally on top.

"You've taken it too far!"

"I did what father wanted!" The demon shouted back, his teeth bared like some furious animal. Adrien noticed Chat's hand closing into fist and before he could try to hit him, Adrien extended his wings and flung himself back, tripping over his feet and landing on his back. The Demon got up and rushed over to the key, Adrien panicked and scrambled to his feet, the two rushing to get to the key first.

Chat got to it first, grasping it tightly and turning quickly on his heel as he took off to the sky, Adrien quickly following. It didn't take them long to get farther into the forest, the Demon weaving through the trees quickly and easily. Adrien found that it was a little too easy to go through the trees, almost like their was a path mapped out. Then again, it was his mind.

He beat his white feathered wings quickly yet he was only slowly catching up to the Demon, he always seemed to be one second faster than him. Adrien lifted himself above the trees and moved faster, keeping his gaze locked on the black wings that weaved through the forest. Now that he didn't have to focus on dodging trees, he was able to move much faster and soon enough he was above the Demon. He quickly dived down and with as much force as he could, he pushed Chat down to the forest floor, the two crashing down and tumbling to a stop.

Adrien groaned slightly as he lifted his head, glancing around to find the Demon a few feet away from him, noticing how he seemed to have rolled into a tree trunk, the quiet groans proving that assumption. The angel scanned the grass, looking for any sign of the key. Chat must've dropped it right?

Adrien slowly got to his feet and made his way over to the Demon's body, "Give me the key," He ordered, his voice holding no sign of pity.

Chat glanced up at the angel and let out a small chuckle, "Why would I do that? You haven't won yet Adrien, I'm still in control,"

Adrien furrowed his brows, "I won't let you hurt Marinette anymore, now give me the key."

His words only made Chat laugh, though he seemed to only get angrier, "Is that your only motive? Is she the only reason you're doing all of this? For some stupid angel?!" By the end of his words, the Demon was glaring up at Adrien, his icy blue eyes filled with hatred.

Adrien was almost taken aback.

"She's not just some angel!"

Chat turned so he was laying on his back, his hands clenched on top of his chest. One of them definitely had the key.

"Is that so? Then does it just pain you to watch her get hurt by your own hands? If you listen carefully, you might be able to hear her screams echo through the forest-"

"Shut up!" Adrien couldn't take this anymore, he needed to get back to her and take back control. He got down to his knees and grabbed Chat's wrists, attempting to pull his hands open.

They both suddenly stopped, the sound of white noise filling the air and the sun in the sky being covered by grim dark clouds. Adrien felt his body become suddenly weak and he fell back, unable to move.

"Wh-What's happening...?" He asked, struggling to even speak. The Demon couldn't reply, all that came out was the sound of choking and gasps. Adrien glanced over at him, noticing the blood spilling down from the Demon's mouth. His eyes widened, not able to do anything to stop this and still not sure what was even happening.

He felt a sudden sharp pain in his stomach and his first reaction was a cough, blood dripping from his lips and onto the grass. Whatever was happening, it was happening because of something that was taking place at that very moment out in the real world.

Then he heard someone call his name-his real name, and he realized immediately who it was.

"Marinette..."

 **OoOoOoOoO**

The angel watched helplessly as Chat Noir was impaled through the back and stomach from behind with a sword, and at the end of that sword was Lila.

"Adrien!" Marinette cried loudly, desperately trying to get up with chains around her hands and wings. She ended up making her way towards him, stumbling and nearly tripping but finally reaching him just as Lila pulled out the sword and he fell to his side limply. Marinette turned her attention Lila, her face contorted in anger despite the tears already spilling down from her eyes.

"How could you!? He gave you everything you wanted!" She cried and Lila scoffed, tossing the sword soaked in blood off to the side.

"Everything? No, he gave me an opportunity. I convinced him to make me Queen so that when the time was right and his guard was down, I would back stab him- literally," She chuckled and it sent off a spark in Marinette that burned with anger. She looked around at the guards who stood in shock, not sure what to do. They couldn't really do anything, Lila was their Queen and to the Demons, if one overthrows the other then it's obviously who should lead them. Demons really were cruel beings.

Marinette looked down at Adrien, her tears only spilling down faster once she saw how he looked— blood dripping from his lips and his eyes dull and faded, almost a grey colour. He looked like he was dying, and that's what really pained Marinette.

She lifted his head and let him rest against her lap, turning his body over so that he was on his back. She glanced down at his wound, cringing at the sight of so much blood. The red soaked through his black clothes and created a puddle underneath him.

"Adrien, say something please.." She looked back over at his face, his eyes were unfocused and for a moment she was scared that he had already died. She leaned down and pressed her ear against his chest, listening for the sound of his heartbeat. In the few seconds that she heard nothing, she had felt her own heart physically ache- but then she heard a faint beat and she couldn't help but sigh in relief, lifting her head to look down at him.

"Adrien please.. I can't lose you.. please don't leave me..." She begged softly, and slowly he turned his unfocused gaze to her, blinking a few times to finally see her. His hand slowly moved and he reached up to grasp her own chained hand, Marinette giving it a tight squeeze. She watched as his eyes went from a dull blue-grey to a pale green, and she knew that those eyes were Adrien's, not Chat Noir's.

"M-Marinette.." He spoke quietly and weakly, but at least he was saying something. Marinette let her tears fall, glancing around the room for anything that could help him. That's when she saw her satchel and she realized she still had a few vials of the potion Fu had given her. She felt a spark of hope and she carefully placed Adrien's head back onto the ground. She attempted to get up, her chains making it hard to do so and she stumbled to the ground with a groan.

She heard Adrien's quietly speak behind her, "R-Release her," and a guard hesitated before rushing over to her, undoing the chains from her hands and wings. She stared up at the guard, not sure what he was thinking in his mind but grateful anyway. She got up and ran towards her satchel, but stopped when black wings obstructed her view.

"What the-?" Before she could finish, Lila was there and the Demon used her wing to smack against Marinette, sending her tumbling to the ground with a cry. Lila grabbed the satchel and held it above Marinette mockingly, a grin on her face.

"You really think I'd let you save him? Once he dies, I'll be in control of the Demon Kingdom and the Angels will tremble in fear, you don't stand a chance," She chuckled and Marinette felt that same anger from before boil up inside her. She quickly kicked at her legs and the Demon gasped, falling back and dropping the satchel, Marinette catching it just in time.

She ran back over to Adrien, placing the small bag down beside him before turning back to face Lila, her eyes burning with hatred and anger. The Demon got up, an amused grin on her face.

"It seems I've underestimated you! You might just be a problem after all," She raised her large black wings and Marinette forced herself to stay strong, she had gone against three demons and survived, she had gone against hellhounds and had survived her plan to avoid the war. Then again, she had had Adrien with her for two of those, he was really the one who saved her.

But now he needed her, so it was her turn to save him.

The angel extended her wings in preparation, and before she knew it Lila was rushing towards her, her outfit shifting like an illusion into a skintight orange suit, she moved too quickly for Marinette to see exactly what it looked like and it caught her off guard, which gave Lila the opening to attack. A staff appeared in her hand and she jabbed it against Marinette's stomach, sending her flying back and smacking against the throne, falling to the ground with a thud. She wasn't prepared for that. Nor was she ready for another attack- Lila appeared beside her and kicked her while she was down, a cry of pain escaping the Angel but despite the pain, she felt adrenaline, which was enough for her to be able to grab the Demon's ankle and pulling her forward, getting her off balance and causing her to fall but she used her wings before she made contact.

"I won't fall for that again!" She swung the staff down, but Marinette scurried off just in time, her wings pushing her forward. She ran towards the sword Lila had used against Adrien and picked it up quickly, turning on her heel as her sword made contact with Lila's staff.

"Oh so you want to sword fight do you? That's fine by me!" Lila smiled in amusement as her staff changed into a sword and Marinette felt the blood drain from her face. For a moment, she had the upper hand, and then Lila does something like this.

Marinette used her wings to fly back, avoiding the slashes of Lila's sword. She quickly looked around for a solution, noticing the large chandelier lit with the purple flames hanging from the centre of the room. That's when she got an idea. She quickly flew over to the other side of the room to a pillar that had ropes tied around it, that led up to the chandelier.

"What do you plan to do when you finally take over the Demon Kingdom?" Marinette asked, stalling. Lila dropped down to the floor, sword in hand as she walked towards Marinette- and towards the centre of the room.

"That's a secret I'm afraid, but if you really want to know, it'll end with the Angel's extermination!" She extended her wings and Marinette quickly slashed her sword against the ropes, and just as Marinette looked back at Lila, the chandelier fell atop the Demon and everything went quiet after the dust cleared. Marinette panted in exhaustion, her heart racing in her chest as the adrenaline finally disappeared.

She glanced around, noticing how the guards stared at her with wide eyes. She didn't understand why, it wasn't like they killed people before. The thought made her feel sick, she just killed someone. It felt wrong, but it was also self-defence, and this was war. Which just meant she would get away with murder.

She suddenly remembered Adrien and she ran back over to him, noticing the satchel was opened and he had an empty vial in his hand- giving her hope. But her heart dropped to her stomach when she saw Adrien's expression- sadness or perhaps guilt.

"D-Did it work..?" She asked and he slowly shook his head, causing her throat to clench and her heart and stomach to ache. No, this couldn't be true- it had to work, they were potions made by the healer himself!

She dropped down beside him, tears once again welling up in her eyes. She noticed how his eyes were just as glossy, but despite the pain and heartbreak, he smiled weakly, reaching out and grabbing her hand.

"I-I can't b-believe you beat Lila.. that was a-amazing.." He mumbled weakly and Marinette wiped her eyes with her free hand.

"Stop changing the subject you idiot! You're going to die! And... and I can't save you.." She couldn't accept this, there had to be another way to save him. But she was running out of time, he was bleeding out too quickly and she could tell that he was struggling to breathe and keep his eyes open.

"No no no, please don't die on me Adrien!" She begged desperately just as his eyes slowly began to close, but despite that he still tried to speak. It came out inaudible which only made Marinette even more sick to her stomach- she was watching him die, slowly and painfully. He mumbled something under his breath but she couldn't understand, a few tears finally slipping down his face. Whatever he was trying to say, it must've been important and that only frustrated the angel more.

Then, he smiled weakly one last time, tears drying up in his dull green eyes as they closed shut. His smile faded and his body went limp as he took his final breath.


End file.
